The Power of a Song
by LizGillieswow
Summary: This started as an alternative Jori version of my previous story but has ended as something up much deeper. I've put a lot of Jade's background and family life in this story too.
1. Chapter 1

_**A.N**_/ If you've read my story 'The Biggest Mistake' You'll notice that some of the earlier Jade sections are the same or quite similar this is because this started off as an alternative Jori version of that story for my friend but has evolved into something much deeper so please bear with it because it quickly changes. Thanks.

**_DISCLAIMER_:~ **I'm not Dan Schneider, I do not own the Victorious characters.

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><p><span>The Power of a Song.<span>

Chapter 1

10! Jade heard her voice crack as she said the number she had never imagined arriving at. Her hand reached for the door handle and then retreated; he hadn't come after her, which meant he didn't want to be with her anymore. Jade felt the pain tear through her chest, she was sure her heart had literally shattered! Her eyes filled with tears, she had to get out of there. As she climbed in the car, she glanced back, hoping, praying that Beck was coming after her but he wasn't there. Jade put her foot on the gas and sped off, she wasn't sure where she was heading, she just needed to drive.

As she heard the screech of Jade's car tyres leaving her drive, Tori felt her heart sink. Everyone was silent, waiting, watching to see what Beck would do. Suddenly he turned and said "Let's play some cards" and headed over to the table, closely followed by Trina. Everyone else started awkwardly milling about, sorting the cards out but Tori was rooted to the spot staring at the door. She had the strongest desire to go after Jade but the others were all there and anyway she hadn't a clue where she would go. All she did know is that Jade would be feeling completely devastated right now, she recalled the broken mess that had turned up at her door eighteen months ago when Jade had finished with Beck after a silly fight. She was bound to be worse now, an extra year and a half's worth of love and memories make for a deeper connection and this time Beck had ended it so Jade wouldn't even have the option of trying to fix things. "Tori!" Andre's voice snapped her out of her stupor but as she sat down the crushing feeling of concern weighed heavily on her shoulders and her eyes drifted towards the door once more.

As Jade drove around she could feel the hot tears streaming down her face, she couldn't go home, she wouldn't let her Mom or brother see her like this. They weren't even expecting her back tonight; she nearly always stayed at Beck's now. That thought brought with it a fresh wave of pain. Even if Cat hadn't been at Tori's she wouldn't have gone to her house. Cat would have just made her feel worse. Andre had made it quite clear he thought their relationship was atrocious now. She hated to admit it but yet again the only person she would have gone to was Tori but of course she couldn't, the others were all there. She knew she couldn't keep driving around like this but where could she go? _Think Jade! _In the end the only place she could come up with was the wooded grove she used to disappear to when she was younger, she knew it wasn't exactly a safe choice at this time of night but it was secluded and private and that's what she needed.

Tori looked at the clock, it was 11pm, "Ok guys kick out time I'm afraid." Trina, who had spent the last hour or so leaning against Beck's arm glared at her, Tori just shook her head and started tidying the cards and chips away. Andre was already driving Cat and Robbie home and had offered Beck a lift too so at least they would all be leaving together. For the first time ever she had not enjoyed spending the evening with her friends, there was a cloud hanging over them and a deep tension in the air. She had had to draw on every acting skill she had learnt at Hollywood Arts as she had forced herself to take part in the conversation, smile and laugh at the jokes Rex and Cat had made in an attempt to lighten the mood. She said her goodbyes and closed the door behind them with a sigh of relief. As she stood there, with her hand on the door handle, she couldn't help her mind drifting back to the awful scene that had played out there earlier. She loved Beck, he was one of her closest friends but the feelings swirling around in the pit of her stomach told her he had behaved appallingly. It was a very rare occasion when she empathised with Jade but tonight was definitely one of those moments. Tori felt Trina pulling her arm "I'm talking to you!" She screeched. "Don't you think Beck and I make a cute couple?" She grinned inanely. "Trina, they split up like an hour and a half ago!" Trina just grinned even wider "AND!" she exclaimed as she practically danced up the stairs. Tori rubbed her hands across her face and thought for probably the millionth time in her life that either she or Trina must have been switched at birth.

Jade drove down the thin dirt track and arrived in her childhood safe haven. As she turned the engine off she allowed herself to break. The sobs came loud and heavy. She had spent the whole day scared that this was what Beck was trying to tell her, she had been trying to avoid the conversation, denying there was anything wrong. She just didn't understand, she loved him, she hadn't changed! Had she? She was sure she hadn't. They had been together forever, they were Beck and Jade! Three years! Why was he suddenly unhappy? What had she done?

Tori changed into her nightwear and climbed into bed. She looked at her phone and wondered whether she should ring Jade or maybe just send a text to ask her if she was ok. No, that was a daft idea; it's obvious she wouldn't be ok. She chewed her lip absentmindedly. Probably best just to leave her to it for now, she'd try and talk to her at school in the morning. As she lay there waiting for sleep to come, her mind was awash with thoughts of Jade.

Jade looked at the clock on the dash, it was 3am, she really should go home now. At least everyone would be asleep at this time. She glanced in the rear view mirror, she looked awful, it was a good job they would be asleep. She got her phone out of her pocket and checked for the umpteenth time tonight if Beck, or anyone for that matter, had text her. There was nothing. He really had meant it, it really was over. She was alone again. Jade wiped her face, started the car and headed for home.

The alarm went off at 7am as usual and Tori hit the snooze button and wriggled back under the duvet. She always felt that extra five minutes was a sacred right somehow. She could hear Trina stomping across the landing complaining to their Mom that she couldn't find some top or other. She decided to stay where she was until the coast was clear. She picked up her phone and logged into the slap to kill a bit of time, after she updated her status to complain about Trina, she did her usual check through her friend's statuses. As she clicked on Beck's, the sinking feeling she had experienced the night before returned. There was no longer a relationship link between his and Jade's profile's and his status had changed to "Single, yup!" Tori cringed and clicked onto Jade's profile. Nothing had changed except for the missing relationship status. It was definitely Beck who'd severed the connection. "Oh Beck" she sighed and shook her head. She knew he wouldn't have done it intending to hurt Jade but she was absolutely positive that when Jade saw that, it would be like a knife though her already bleeding heart. As she put the phone on her bed she was aware of the blissful sound of silence across the upper floor of the house. Trina had obviously gone downstairs now, so Tori grabbed her stuff and headed for the shower.

Jade lay on her bed, sleep had completely evaded her, she could hear her brother playing in his room and the morning sun was seeping through the gap in the curtains. She would have given anything to have felt Beck's arms around her right now. She knew she should be angry with him but she was just too wounded to be angry, broken, she was broken. She got up and went for a shower not quite knowing how she'd face school that day. She stood in the shower with the water flowing over her like hot rain; it would have been soothing if her mind didn't keep wandering to Beck. When she finally came out she instinctively picked up her phone. She knew he wouldn't have text her but she checked anyway. As she sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the phone, she logged into the slap, more out of habit than choice. She did a double take when her profile appeared in front of her minus "Jade is in a relationship with Beck" Her hands shook as she clicked onto Beck's profile and as the words "Single yup" appeared in front of her the tears flowed once more.

As Tori got dressed she heard the familiar ping coming from her phone which signalled a text message had arrived. For the briefest second as she picked it up she wondered if it might be Jade reaching out to her but of course it wasn't, instead it was Cat asking her if she'd seen Beck's status yet. She was sure this would be the main topic of conversation at school today, in fact probably for the rest of the week at least, knowing how the kids at Hollywood Arts loved a good drama. She sighed, responded to Cat's text, finished getting dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Jade knew the comments would start soon so she had to write something but what? If he wasn't bothered she certainly wasn't going to show that she was. In the end she decided on "Yeah, yeah. Beck and I broke up. Can we talk about something else now…Like how annoying Tori is?" She put down her phone and stared at her wardrobe. She knew she should get ready but she just couldn't. She couldn't face school today, she pulled on a pair of pyjamas (even that felt weird now) and climbed into bed.

Tori rushed her breakfast down as fast as possible, Trina was driving her mad going on and on about her imaginary "new relationship" with Beck. She wanted to get to school and away from her as soon as possible but Trina was driving her in today, so unfortunately she'd still have to put up with her for a while longer yet. As she sat next to Trina in the car she decided she couldn't stand it any longer, she popped her headphones in, put some music on and logged back into the slap. She checked Jade's profile again and saw that she had now updated it. Tori cringed once more, until she saw what Jade had written. Typical! She'd been worrying about her since last night and yet again Jade was publicly ridiculing her. Feeling irked she hammered out a reply "Look I know you're hurt but don't drag me into this." Almost as soon as she clicked the send button she regretted it. Jade would not be impressed at having her feelings paraded about on the slap and would surely be baying for her blood now, so much for her plan to offer her a shoulder to cry on. They arrived at school and she quickly got out and dashed off before Trina could start talking at her again. Andre and Robbie were over by the lockers and as Tori walked towards them she could hear a group of students stood by the stairs discussing how Jade never deserved Beck anyway and they were surprised they'd been together this long. Just as she'd expected the gossip had started. "Have you seen Beck and Jade's statuses?" Robbie asked as she stepped towards them. "Yeah, I saw it earlier," she sighed. "I think we're in for an awkward day." Robbie and Andre nodded in agreement. Cat came down the stairs looking like a sad puppy and approached them, "I don't like this," she looked like she was about to burst into tears. "It'll be alright Cat, honestly," Tori tried to reassure her whilst secretly feeling the same dread at what this would mean for their little circle of friends. By the time the bell went for class neither Beck nor Jade had appeared. She was getting increasingly worried. It wasn't like either of them to just miss school. She grabbed her books and walked to class with the others.

Jade spent the whole day flitting between sleep and tears, she was glad of the fact that the house was empty and her Mum was, as usual, too wrapped up in herself to even wonder why Jade's car was in the drive this morning. She had to stop doing this, she had to pull herself together. Beck didn't want her anymore; there was nothing she could do about that! She would allow herself this day to crumble but tomorrow, tomorrow Jade West would be back and no-one would know she was even remotely bothered about Beck flaming Oliver!

Beck had ended up coming into school after all; he was just a little late. Although Tori was relieved to see him arrive, she was soon distracted by an overwhelming concern that Jade hadn't. Any grievance she had held early over Jade's status update, had now vanished. That was obviously Jade's way of trying to divert attention from her grief. Beck had been a little quiet during the day and there was this general mist in the air of something unspoken, as they all avoided mentioning Jade or the break up in his presence but alone in the girls bathroom with Cat, Tori raised the subject of her absence. "Have you even heard from Jade since last night?" Cat's worried expression was back and her bottom lip shook slightly, "No, I..I was going to text her but I didn't know whether she would want me to." Cat's eyes misted up and her voice hit a higher pitch as she asked "Does that make me a really bad friend? I should have rung her shouldn't I?" Tori rubbed her arm reassuringly "No, no you were probably right not to, Jade most likely, just wants to be alone at the minute." Cat calmed a little then. "Kay, kay. Do you think I should try later?" Tori had to admit, she wasn't really sure, "I don't know Cat, perhaps you should wait and see if she comes in tomorrow?" Cat nodded, the doors to the bathroom opened and Tori took that as her cue to end the conversation, there was already enough people gossiping about Jade and Beck right now. The end of the school day couldn't come fast enough for her, she had been so distracted, her mind heavy with images of a devastated Jade. So much so it even surprised her, I mean they weren't exactly close, she couldn't explain it but couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of concern either. At least Andre was coming over tonight, he was sure to provide entertainment and relief from these thoughts.

Jade felt like her eyes were on fire, they stung so much. She must have cried enough to end a drought single handed. She rubbed her face and turned to the misshapen, silver and black clock that hung on her bedroom wall, just after midnight. It felt like she'd spent months lying there, like being in a surreal haze, almost a nightmare, only she wasn't going to wake up from this and as her phone still sat empty of any communication from Beck, she was certain this was going to stay her new reality. Alone. A grumbling sound emerged from her stomach, alerting her to the fact she hadn't eaten since yesterday. Her Mom and brother would be in bed by now so it would be safe to go downstairs. Jade shook her head in slight dismay as it dawned on her that she'd been at home now since 3am and her Mom still hadn't even so much as knocked on the door and said hello. She wasn't exactly bothered by this, she was more than used to her Mom's complete lack of concern for her but an acknowledgement of her existence might be nice once in a while. She quietly descended the stairs, headed into the kitchen and flicked the kettle on. On examining the contents of the fridge, Jade decided she still felt too sick for food; she'd just stick to the coffee. The house was eerily silent, so the kettle boiling sounded like thunder rumbling around the kitchen. She leaned against the ice cold marble of the counter top, the skin on her arms started to numb and she wished she could do the same to her heart. She felt the tears brimming up again. She wondered what Beck was doing, probably asleep by now. The tears spilled over and mingled in with her coffee; she grabbed the cup, headed back to her room and broke down again.

Tori had been right, Andre had provided entertainment and a welcome distraction from her worried state for the evening but as she changed and climbed into bed her mind wandered back to Jade. She couldn't help thinking that night time must be the worst part for her. They all knew Jade practically lived at Beck's RV, in fact the Hollywood Arts rumour mill had always speculated that Beck had moved into the RV to have Jade stay over. She just couldn't imagine what it must be like to have that kind of relationship and lose it, for all Jade's meanness and bad attitude, she loved Beck, was completely devoted to him. That was one of the things that had always confused but fascinated Tori about Jade, that underneath that icy exterior she had this capacity to love someone so overwhelmingly. Sure she was extremely jealous and possessive but even that was somehow strangely endearing. She had always known that was down to Jade actually being very insecure and having a deep rooted fear of losing Beck and now that fear had been realised. She sighed sadly at that thought as she settled down to sleep.

Morning came and Jade headed for the shower she had finally gained control of her emotions, she was fairly sure she could make it through the day without bursting into tears. As she dried herself she glanced at her wardrobe, half of her favourite clothes were still at Beck's RV. Oh well, she certainly wasn't ready to deal with all that yet. She dressed and carefully applied her make-up, she was at least beginning to look more like herself. Jade grabbed her bag and went downstairs, she could hear her Mum and brother in the kitchen but as she didn't want any breakfast and couldn't begin to even contemplate dealing with questions from her mother right now, she just walked straight past and out to her car.

Tori, woke at her usual time, she showered and changed and went downstairs to join her family for breakfast. As her dad caught her gaze, he rolled his eyes at Trina and smiled at her, she grinned back at him widely. Much as Trina drove her mad, she loved her family more than anything. They ate breakfast and chatted. Andre was giving her a lift in today, so she could tolerate Trina more, knowing she would be able to escape her soon. A few minutes later she heard Andre beep his horn, she said her goodbyes and left.

As Jade pulled onto the school car park she took a deep breath in and mentally prepared herself to walk through the door. For the first time in her life she wished she had just one close friend, she could really have used the support right now. She looked around to see if she could spot Cat, even going in with her would have been preferable to going in alone but she couldn't see her. _Jade stop being stupid! _She scolded herself, got out of the car, grabbed her bag and strolled into school.

Tori wandered into school chatting to Andre, as she glanced across the hall she saw Jade opening her locker, she looked different, Tori couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly was different but there was definitely something. As she stood looking at her she didn't quite know what to do, should she go and speak to her, would she even want her too? She was aware of the fact she wasn't the only one looking at Jade, although the gossiping was being kept to a whisper today, she was sure Jade must be noticing it too.

Jade stood by her locker, sorting her books out, she could see Tori and Andre over the other side of the corridor. She was just trying to persuade herself to swallow her pride and go over and speak to them, when she heard Robbie's dulcet tones. She looked across towards the doors and saw Beck walking in with him, for a brief second their eyes met and the pain hit her all over again, her gaze dropped, she closed the locker door, turned and walked to class. At least she hadn't cried for that she was thankful.

Tori watched Jade walking away and suddenly realised what the difference in her was, she looked crushed. Quietly walking away was the last thing she had expected her to do, a big showdown with Beck, yes, a vicious put down, definitely, dignified silence was just so out of character. The sound of the bell cut through her thoughts and Tori made her way to class with the others.

As the lunch bell rang out Jade realised she hadn't taken in an iota of any of her morning lessons, Beck had been in all of them and she had had to use all her concentration to keep her emotions in check. As everyone filed out of the classroom, she hung back, she couldn't face going out to the Asphalt Café but she didn't want to hover in the corridor or Janitor's closet either. She let out a long sigh grabbed her bag and headed to her car.

Tori met up with the others in the café and started scanning the crowd looking for Jade. She was not entirely sure what she was going to do if she spotted her, probably send Cat over, Jade may get irritated by Cat easily but the protectiveness that slipped out from time to time suggested she did class her as a friend and Tori just didn't like the thought of her sitting alone. In the end it didn't matter anyway, as she couldn't see her anywhere.

The afternoon dragged so slowly for Jade, she couldn't wait to get home to the sanctuary of her room. She had always thought she didn't really, actually need anyone, she loved being with Beck but when he was busy or in a different class it didn't particularly bother her. Only now did she realise that that was because she knew she could be with him whenever she wanted, now there was this gaping hole in her heart, in her life and she hadn't the faintest idea how she was ever going to fill it. She had felt the eyes boring into her all day, heard the whispers about how it was her own fault, she knew they were probably right, she was hardly a ray of sunshine after all but she had loved Beck, she still loved Beck with every ounce of her being but obviously that wasn't enough for him. The bell to signal the end of the school day arrived just in time to save her from an embarrassing melt down. Jade grabbed her bag and was first out of the door. She dived into her car and sped off as the now all too familiar rivers of tears rolled down her cheeks again, stinging the already sensitive skin as they went.

Tori had planned to try and speak to Jade before they left school but as the bell had gone Jade had left before Tori had even packed her books away. By the time she and Andre had headed to the car park Jade was long gone. As she glanced towards the empty space Jade's car usually occupied, Andre followed her gaze, "For what it's worth, I do surprisingly feel sorry for her too." This admission shocked Tori significantly but she was pleased he'd given her an opening to talk about it, "It's just so strange seeing her like that, she's always so, well, you know, Jade." Andre nodded, "I feel kinda bad, like what I said the other night caused this, I wanted them to stop arguing, not split up!" Tori climbed in the car looked Andre straight in the eye and tried to reassure him, "I think Beck was heading down that road anyway to be honest, it's not your fault Andre, nobody forced him to not follow her, well, at least after Trina was removed from his legs!" Andre shrugged and turned the key in the ignition. As the stereo kicked in Tori leaned back in her seat, gazed out of the window and tried to think of a way to reach out to Jade.

Jade pulled onto her driveway, her Mom wouldn't be back for a couple of hours yet and her brother would still be at his care club until then. She wondered if her Mom would actually bother to come and speak to her tonight, this would be the first time in over a year that she'd been home two nights in a row, surely she would notice that. Her relationship, if you could even call it that, with her Mom was beyond strained. Jade had known for years now that her Mom disliked her immensely, mostly because she voiced it, often. Everything she did was a disappointment, even in her earliest years. Her Mom had wanted a sweet little beauty pageant Barbie doll but of course Jade had been more like an over-inquisitive, tomboy version of snow white. Her Dad had been too focused on his career to really pay any attention to who she was or what she did but he had at least been slightly impressed by Jade's intelligence, had stated she got that from him, then her passion for the arts had taken hold and his disapproval and disinterest in her had deepened. He hadn't lived with them for the past eight years so it was easy for him to ignore her, out of sight, out of mind as they say. Beck was the only person who'd ever truly understood her, accepted her exactly as she was, well at least she had thought he had. Maybe there was just something fundamentally wrong with her. She wiped her face with her sleeve and went inside.

Tori's evening was filled with her family and a visit from Robbie and Cat. After they had headed home she sat on the sofa just staring at her phone, trying to think of how to word a text to Jade that wouldn't be misunderstood as patronising or false. She felt the sofa sink slightly next to her, she glanced to the side and saw her Mom's kindly face looking at her questioningly, "What's bothering you?" Tori sighed and leaned against her Mom's shoulder, "You know Beck finished with Jade the other night, well she just looks so lost and I want to let her know that I'm here for her if she needs me but I don't know how to, Jade's kind of complicated, you see." Her Mom crinkled her nose in the same way Tori did when she was thinking, it always made Tori smile. She loved the little things that made them so similar. "Find something you have in common with Jade, there must be something you could offer to do with her or somewhere you could go maybe?" Tori nodded and grinned slightly, music, that was what they had in common, not in quite the way her Mom had in mind but it could still work. "Thanks Mom" and with that Tori shot off upstairs to prepare.

Jade had grabbed a sandwich and a coffee, gone to her room and spent the entirety of the evening there. She had half-heartedly done her homework, then put her music on, looked through her vast collection of photographs of her and Beck and wept relentlessly. She hated herself for not being able to just get over this and move on but Beck was her life, he was her best friend, her lover, her safety net, he completed her. She genuinely had no-one else. He'd been there for such a long time now; she had never even considered that there might be a time when he wouldn't be. She was completely lost. She considered phoning Cat but on reflection she really didn't think Cat would be able to deal with her in this state. She could hear her Mom talking on the phone downstairs, why couldn't she be the kind of Mom to come and sit with her, hug her, make hot chocolate and cookies and tell her everything was going to be alright. It was this thought more than any other that made Jade acutely aware of just how vulnerable she was right now and that scared her, she could feel herself unravelling and had no clue how to stop it. The hours slipped away and she heard her brother go to bed, followed a short while later by her Mom and even though she had to walk past Jade's room to go to bed, she didn't acknowledge her presence in the house. Jade curled up on her bed, she didn't even bother getting undressed, just laid there listening to her music, lost in the painful memories until she fell into a restless sleep.

Tori awoke with a renewed sense of positivity, she had at least got a plan of action where Jade was concerned now. She couldn't be totally sure that it would work but it had to be better than just sitting around watching her struggle and at least then she could say to herself that she'd tried. She got ready quickly and bounded downstairs to chat to her Mom before she left for school.

Jade was awake long before her alarm went off, she'd spent so long in the shower her skin had wrinkled but it had helped to somewhat clear the fuzziness in her head from the recent lack of sleep. She got ready slowly, she knew today would be much the same as yesterday and she wasn't looking forward to the repeat performance. At least Beck wouldn't be in the first lesson, one small mercy. She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs, her brother, Aiden, was just coming out of the lounge as she passed, "How come you're here?" he asked her, looking genuinely puzzled. "I live here," she replied without her usual sarcastic tone, this left Aiden looking even more confused. "I'll see you tonight, maybe," she said with a kind of half smile. She'd never hated her brother, after all, it wasn't his fault their Mom favoured him and he only got slightly better treatment from their father, she just barely saw him anymore. He irritated her, granted and she'd done her fair share of winding him up for own amusement but that was nothing every other set of siblings she knew didn't do. As she headed out of the front door, she tried to recall when they had last spent any time together, it must have been last year, just after she got him to do her audition piece with her for Helen, her Mum had been going out and as she and Beck had been there and the babysitter had cancelled just before she was due to leave, she had informed Jade she would have to watch him instead. To Jade's complete surprise, they had actually had a fun night together playing various computer games, with Aiden usually slaughtering Beck but losing to Jade. Beck was just so good with kids, he had this easy way with them and Jade had often thought over the years they'd been together that one day he would make a brilliant father, very different to her own; she let out a slow sad sigh as she climbed into her car. She knew she was leaving too early but she needed coffee and she felt far more at home at the local Starbucks than she did at her own house.

As soon as Tori walked through the school entrance she started scanning the corridor for Jade. Thirty seconds with her was all she needed but Jade wasn't there yet. She went over to her locker and started sorting out what she needed for the first lesson, glancing over her shoulder every now and then to see if Jade had arrived. By the time she was organised she had been joined by Beck and Robbie, she would have to wait until lunchtime to catch Jade now.

Jade had deliberately timed it so she would arrive in school minutes before class started. She just couldn't take being the circus freak this morning, everyone staring and whispering. As she walked through the main doors she could see Beck, Robbie, Tori, Cat and Andre heading off to class and she felt the knife that had been embedded in her chest since Monday twist. She hadn't just lost Beck but her whole social circle and much as she loathed admitting it, she missed them, especially Andre and surprisingly Tori too. Her gaze dropped to the floor, she took a deep breath in and then followed the sea of students into class.

Lunch time arrived and as the group filed out of the classroom to make their way to the Asphalt Café Tori grabbed Andre's arm, "I'll be there in a minute, grab me a burrito please." Andre nodded, "Okay." Tori turned to look for Jade but yet again she'd vanished. _The Janitor's closet _she thought, she opened the door and peeped in but it was uninhabited. Where could she be? She wandered the corridors for a moment, still no sign of Jade but as she passed the main entrance she glanced down towards the car park and spotted the empty bay which had earlier housed Jade's car. Wow, Jade was obviously struggling far more than she'd imagined if she couldn't even stay in school during the lunch hour. Tori wandered to the Café to meet with the others, she would just have to make sure she got out of class before Jade this afternoon.

As the final bell rang out Jade did her leaving at the speed of light trick again so she was more than a little surprised to find Tori standing by her car when she got out there. She wasn't quite sure what to say, so was relieved when Tori spoke first, "Don't say anything, just take this and listen to it when you get a minute, ok?" Jade took the cd Tori was holding out towards her. Her brow furrowed in confusion but she still nodded in agreement, "Okay." Tori smiled and walked away leaving Jade to just stand there bemused for a second staring at the cd in her hand. The deafening sound of mass chatter which always accompanied home time pulled Jade from her thoughts. She placed the cd in her bag, climbed into the car and set off for home.

Tori was more than a little pleased with herself for managing to beat Jade out of school. She just prayed that she would be curious enough to listen to the song. Jade was far from stupid, that much Tori did know, she would understand what she was trying to say to her. Whether she chose to respond to it was another story and one which she had no control over. She spotted Trina annoying some poor senior guy over by the benches near the front entrance, she decided to go and rescue him so she could go home. She really needed to retake her test soon; she was so fed up of relying on other people for lifts.

Jade arrived back to an empty house, as usual. She grabbed a coffee and wandered into the living room. The walls were filled with expensive works of art and the mantel piece held a few beautifully framed photographs, mostly of her brother. She picked up the one that did contain an image of her, she was about eight and Aiden would have been around three. He was sat on her knee and she had her arms wrapped around him. They had the same dark hair, pale skin and big green and grey eyes but that was where the similarities ended. She smiled slightly, he had been kind of cute back then, used to call her "My Jadey." That was before her Mom's poisonous hatred of her had gotten in the way of their relationship. Jade put the photograph down and wandered back into the kitchen. She refilled her coffee cup, picked up her bag and slowly climbed the stairs to her room. Once in there, she sat heavily on the edge of her bed and glanced at the photograph of her and Beck that sat on her bedside cabinet. She knew she should move it; it was like pouring salt on the still very open wound every time she looked at it but she just wasn't ready yet. She went to switch her stereo on when she remembered the cd Tori had given her earlier. She fished it out of her bag and gazed at it, it was just a plain silver disc with nothing written on it. She placed it into the cd player and pushed the play button. A familiar tune started to filter out, she knew this song. "_When you feel all alone and the world has turned its back on you, give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart. I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you, it's hard to find relief and people can be so cold. When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore, let me be the one you call. If you jump I'll break your fall,  
>lift you up and fly away with you into the night. If you need to fall apart I can mend a broken heart. If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone."<em> Jade listened intently to the lyrics, she already knew them but she still listened like it was the first time she'd ever heard those words. "_When you feel all alone and a loyal friend is hard to find, you're caught in a one way street, with the monsters in your head. When hopes and dreams are far away and you feel like you can't face the day, let me be the one you call. If you jump I'll break your fall, lift you up and fly away with you into the night. If you need to fall apart I can mend a broken heart. If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone." _She didn't need to hear anymore, she grabbed her car keys and ran down the stairs, the sound of the song still playing in her room getting fainter as she went. She needed this, she needed someone, anyone and if Tori was offering to be that someone then she wasn't stupid enough to turn it down. She dived in her car and drove to Tori's barely registering the journey.

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><p><strong>A.N** Song quoted is Savage Garden ~ Crash and Burn.

Hope you've enjoyed and thanks for reading this. Chapter 2 has gone straight up too.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A.N/ Disclaimer **_~ I am not Dan Schneider. I do not own the Victorious characters.

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><p><span>The Power of a Song.<span>

Chapter 2

Tori was watching some daft sitcom when she heard a car pull up onto the drive, Trina was dancing around the kitchen with her headphones in screeching along to Kesha's latest song. The knock at the door was tentative and Tori peeled herself off the sofa to go and answer it. As she pulled it open and saw Jade standing on the other side of it she was rather shocked. She certainly hadn't expected her to respond to her olive branch so quickly. Jade was just standing there looking at her and she realised she was doing the same. "Come in," Tori took a step backwards and gestured towards the sofa. Jade nodded and walked past her, she didn't sit down though, just stood there looking at Trina with a mixture of horror and amusement. "Maybe we should go upstairs instead!" Tori headed towards the stairs and as she turned to look over her shoulder she saw Jade was quietly following her. She was suddenly aware of how surreal this situation was. She had felt sorry for Jade, felt this need to do something to help her but in reality she realised she hadn't actually expected her to accept the offer. She was glad she had, this was just uncharted territory and she wasn't sure what to expect.

Jade silently followed Tori into her room, she'd been in their before, although without invitation last time, she smiled slightly at this memory. Now she was here she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do, or what she actually wanted from Tori. _Maybe this had been a mistake. _Tori sat on her bed and patted the space next to her, Jade plonked herself down and lowered her head. "Soo," Tori said in a pitch that was unnaturally high. "Hmmm," Jade replied awkwardly. She looked up at Tori, "Listen, thanks for the cd, I…I appreciate the thought," Jade still wasn't sure this was a good idea. Tori smiled at her softly, "it's ok, do you want to talk…or just watch a movie or something?" Jade considered the options for a second, "A movie sounds good," baby steps, she thought. She wasn't quite ready to trust Tori with the inner workings of her messed up mind.

Tori grinned and went over to her dvd collection, this was less painful than she'd expected. She scanned the titles looking for something funny but not really romantic, she settled for St. Trinian's and popped it into the player, she grabbed the remote and jumped back on the bed, she shuffled up to rest against the pillows and gently pulled Jade's arm to get her to join her.

Jade tentatively shuffled up the bed until she was level with Tori, _well this_ _was weird. _She turned her head slightly to look at the girl sat just a few inches from her, she was kind and sweet really, Jade had always thought that about her and it irritated her immensely but she didn't know why. Whatever, she was glad of that kindness now.

As the film neared the half-way mark Tori turned to Jade, "Do you want a drink and something to eat?" Jade had been completely silent since the film started and although it hadn't been a particularly uncomfortable silence, Tori still wanted to break it. "A coffee would be good, thanks," she replied with a half-smile. Tori paused the film and slid off the bed, "Sugar?" At this Jade's smile widened "Three please." Tori laughed "Okay." Who knew Jade would have such a sweet tooth. She was still smiling about that one as she headed down to the kitchen.

Jade sat forward and pulled her knees to her chest, that permanent dull ache was still in there but at least she wasn't lying by herself sobbing. She slowly looked around Tori's room remembering the first time she'd been in there. It had been exactly what she'd expected, a pale shade of lilac colouring the walls, heart shaped lights surrounding the mirror on the dressing table. A large photo montage of family and friends hung on one wall and posters of various pop stars graced another. Her double bed had more of the same lights threaded through the white metal rim of the headboard and her bedding was a deeper shade of lilac with a girly butterfly design on it. It couldn't have been more different from Jade's room, however, they both seemed to share a need for neatness and order that almost bordered on o.c.d. The décor definitely suited Tori and it was nowhere near as bad as the gaudy over the top cotton candy theme of Cat's room. Jade always felt like her eyeballs had been assaulted when she'd been around there. She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs and as she looked up towards the door, she couldn't help laughing at Tori trying to balance two cups in one hand, a couple of bars of chocolate in the other and a bag of popcorn between her teeth. Jade swung herself off the bed and carefully removed the cups from Tori's hand. Tori took the bag of popcorn from her mouth, "Thanks, yours is the one on the right." "Okay." Jade placed the cups on the bedside cabinet being careful not to mix them up, then got back on the bed.

As Tori, shuffled herself up the bed she realised the gap between her and Jade wasn't there any more, their arms were meeting now, she expected Jade to shift herself across the bed away from her but to her surprise she didn't. She pulled the bag of popcorn open and leant it in the slight gap between their thighs and passed a chocolate bar to Jade. Jade took it and handed Tori her drink. As she clicked the play button on the remote, Tori turned to look at Jade and a wide smile spread across her face. If someone had suggested a week ago that she would be sat happily watching a film with Jade West she'd have laughed at them but here they were never the less and Tori had to admit it was nice. She loved Cat to bits but she was hard work at times, more like having a baby sister than a friend. Jade had a sharp tongue yes but she also had a sharp mind too, she was clever and witty, maybe a little too sarcastic at times but Tori knew the main reason that bothered her was because it was more often than not aimed at her. When it was Sinjin, Robbie or Rex in the firing line she frequently had to stifle a giggle. She wasn't sure whether this would be a onetime deal but she would make the most of it while it was happening.

Jade started sipping her coffee; she was aware of Tori looking at her but kept her gaze directed at the television. The bar of chocolate that Tori had just given her lay on her lap, she'd barely eaten for days, the constant churning in her stomach driving any hunger pangs away but she put the cup down, picked up the chocolate and unwrapped it slowly. She stared at it for a moment before she snapped a piece off and nibbled at it. "I bet you've not been eating properly, I mean you disappear at lunchtimes and I'm fairly sure you aren't going to fetch food." Tori's voice was inquisitive but it was a statement rather than a question. Jade looked up, "I just…can't…" Tori nodded, signalling she understood. "You can still come and sit with us you know, you don't have to keep going out." Jade felt the tears bubbling beneath her eyelids, her breathing becoming more rapid. Tori put her cup down on the chest of drawers next to her, moved the bag of popcorn and swung herself up onto her knees to face Jade, "I'm sorry Jade, I really didn't mean to upset you," her tone was genuinely apologetic and this just made Jade worse. "I can't look at him Tori, it just hurts too much."

The tears were spilling over now, dripping down Jade's face and as Tori looked at her she couldn't help thinking she looked like she was crying diamonds. She'd always thought Jade was pretty but looking at her now, really looking at her, with her walls down, vulnerable, she felt like she was seeing her soul and she was truly beautiful. She didn't even debate whether Jade would want her to hold her; she just reached forward and pulled her in towards her.

Jade felt Tori wrapping her arms around her and she didn't resist, instead she returned the gesture. She buried her head in Tori's shoulder and broke down. She could feel Tori tighten her hold and start to stroke her hair with one hand and she was grateful. All of her usual 'anti-Tori' feelings were gone, she had been so lost, so alone and she knew she would never forget the kindness she was showing her tonight.

Tori didn't know how long they stayed there like that but the film had finished by the time they parted. "I'm sorry," Jade said softly as she wiped her face with her hands. Tori leaned over and grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the drawers. "Don't be," she said as she gently wiped Jade's face. "I should go," Jade started to get up but Tori grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. "No, you're not driving in that state and besides it's not late," she glanced over her shoulder at the butterfly shaped clock that hung above her dressing table, "it's only 8 o'clock and we missed the end of the film." She smiled and picked up the remote. Jade didn't argue she just pulled herself back up onto the bed and got comfy. Tori forwarded the film to where they were before and set it off again. Without really giving it any thought she wrapped her arm around Jade's shoulder and with the same amount of inattention Jade leaned into Tori and rested her head on hers.

The film finished and Jade sat up, Tori followed suit. "I'd really better go now," Jade stood up and adjusted her still slightly damp top. "Okay," Tori didn't want to push it, it still wasn't all that late but she was aware this must have been very hard for Jade. She saw her out to her car, "See you tomorrow." "Yeah," Jade looked down at the steering wheel, "Thank you for tonight." Tori smiled, "anytime," and she really meant it. Underneath the façade there was a very likeable Jade dwelling and although Tori had seen glimmers of her before, tonight she had met her properly and she wasn't going to let her disappear again. As Jade pulled off the driveway, she got her phone out of her pocket and rang Robbie, she didn't want Jade to spend another lunchtime alone and if that meant getting Robbie to find something to distract Beck with tomorrow then so be it.

The lights were on as Jade arrived home, well she'd known she'd have to face her Mom at some point, might as well be now. She walked in and saw her Mom sat at the kitchen table with paperwork spread out in front of her, she glanced up at Jade, "In again?" her tone was cold and flat as always. "Yes." Jade mirrored her mother's blank tone. "Is this going to be a regular occurrence?" Her Mom's head was already buried back in her paperwork. "Probably," Jade turned and walked away, she knew there would be no further interaction, her Mom had the information she required so that would be it. She went to go straight upstairs but then stopped; a strange feeling was brewing inside her, one she couldn't quite get her head around. She went to the living room door and just popped her head in, Aiden was sat watching television, "Hey." He turned to look at her and smiled, "Hi Jade." She smiled back, "I just wanted to say goodnight." Aiden grinned widely, "Okay, goodnight then." Jade climbed the stairs, feeling slightly lighter than she had for the past few days. She walked into her room, pressed play on her stereo and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She hadn't heard the text message arrive; the alert had probably been drowned out by the music coming from her car's radio. She opened the text, it was from Tori and simply said "I'm here!" Jade smiled and hit her back with, "Thank you." She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She'd barely slept or eaten for three days now and the near constant crying had taken its toll too. She pulled on the tank top and shorts combo she favoured for bed again now, brushed her teeth, combed her hair through and climbed into bed. The photograph was, as always, a harsh reminder of what she'd lost. The sadness hit her like a tidal wave but with the song Tori had given her playing on repeat in the background, she was also reminded that she was no longer in this alone. She rolled over to face away from the picture, opened the text again and stared at the screen. Never before had those two little words been more significant to her.

Tori awoke to silence, it was unusual for her to not need her alarm, she loved her bed and loved to sleep, long lie-ins were one of the things she looked forward to of a weekend. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and noticed the pillows on the other side of the bed were still propped up where Jade had sat against them the night before. She reached for her phone and opened the text Jade had sent her again, "Thank you." If the evidence hadn't been there in front of her, she would have thought she'd been dreaming. Having now seen the Jade from last night, she understood why Beck had been with her so long. That must surely be the version he got when they were alone. What she was now struggling with though was if he knew that Jade was really that vulnerable, how he could have done what he did the other night? She'd had an uneasy feeling over it anyway but now it seemed even crueller somehow. She typed out a text and pressed send. She lay there for a minute debating whether to try and go back to sleep or not but decided as she was already awake, she may as well get up and ready.

Jade peered at her clock, 6.12am; she blinked and rubbed her eyes. She was used to waking before her alarm, when she was at Beck's she would always just lay there looking at him, watching him sleep. Those were the moments she would feel like her heart might burst. She loved him so much it consumed her. She got up and jumped in the shower. When she came out she could see the red light on her phone flickering, she picked it up and clicked the little envelope symbol, it was Tori again. She smiled to herself, that girl was definitely true to her word, she'd give her that. 'Morning, did you get any sleep?' Jade sat on the edge of her bed, her wet hair dripping onto the duvet, she fired off a reply, 'Morning, yeah, thanks, more than I have been. You ok?' She looked at the text she had just sent and shook her head, her, asking Tori Vega if she was ok? It was official, she had gone through the back of the wardrobe and wound up in Narnia! She dropped her phone on the bed and went to finish getting ready.

Tori was sat on the sofa, eating her toast when Jade's text popped up, she had to read it several times before she could take it in. Jade was asking her if she was ok? Well, that was unexpected. In her distraction she hadn't noticed Trina leaning over the back of the sofa and pinching her toast until it was too late, Tori glared at her but turned her attention back to her phone. 'Yes, I'm ok thank you apart from having the most irritating sister on the entire planet. ' She really didn't want a lift off Trina this morning, she would ring Andre, he would come and save her.

Jade was ready and in the kitchen by half 7, her Mom's briefcase, was on the kitchen table, with the paperwork she had been doing the night before stacked on top of it. A smile crept across Jade's face as she thought of how much stress she could cause her mother if she 'accidently' spilt coffee on it. She would never actually do it but the thought amused her. She could hear the shower running in her Mom's bathroom so knew she was safe to grab a quick drink before she left today. Aiden was clomping about upstairs still. Jade leaned back against the counter top, sipping her coffee, thinking. They weren't a family; they were so far beyond the realms of dysfunctional it was unreal. There was no doubt in her mind that once she had left home contact with her mother would at best be a once a year Thanksgiving or Christmas event, although saying that she'd spent the last two of these holidays with Beck and his family. As another thud resonated through the ceiling above her she turned her thoughts to Aiden, last night sat in the living room, while her Mom was working in the kitchen, at school until at least 6pm every day, left with babysitters nearly every weekend, were things really much different for him than they were for her anymore? She'd barely been around for this past year so she had no idea what life was like for him now, one thing she did know though was that his face had lit up just from her saying goodnight to him and that couldn't be a good sign. She finished her coffee and placed the cup in the dishwasher. She grabbed her bag and was about to head out of the door when that strange feeling gripped her again. She picked up a glass, filled it with orange juice and placed it on the table, next to it she added a bowl, the cereal and a jug of milk, "Aiden!" She yelled up the stairs. "Yeah," he peered at her over the balcony. "I'm leaving now, your breakfasts on the table, okay." The biggest grin spread across his face and Jade couldn't help smiling back at him. "Okay, bye Jade, thank you." As she walked through the front door she was aware of him bounding down the stairs behind her, she glanced back over her shoulder, "See you later."

Andre had come to Tori's rescue thankfully and as they pulled onto the school car park, she could just see Jade going through the main entrance. She hadn't told Andre anything about last night, she wasn't sure whether she was even supposed to mention that Jade had been there at all but seeing as Trina knew it was unlikely to stay a secret. They went in and as she opened her locker she heard a voice behind her, "Trina driving you crazy then?" She turned to see Jade stood there holding her phone. "Just a bit, luckily Andre saved me from having to come in with her," Tori smiled at Andre, who nodded looking pleased with himself. Cat wandered over and joined the group. Jade tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, "I can always give you a lift if you want." Tori wasn't sure who looked more bewildered, her, Andre or Cat! "What?" Jade exclaimed glaring at them all, "I have to drive past Tori's house to get here, it's hardly a big deal!" Andre raised his eyebrows and shrugged, Cat still looked blank and Tori grinned. Now that sounded much more like Jade.

Jade rolled her eyes, was she really so bad that her offering someone a lift should be greeted with such shock? "Hey, hey, hey!" Robbie was here, which meant Beck must be with him. Jade cringed, took a deep breath and turned towards them; she felt Tori's hand lightly touch the bottom of her back, not so as anyone would notice but just enough for her to know she was there. She focused on Robbie avoiding eye contact with Beck. "How is everyone today?" Ugh, Jade always struggled with Robbie's over the top cheeriness but now even more so, she let the others answer and turned back towards Tori, a familiar hand slid onto her shoulder and the look on Tori's face confirmed it was Beck's, "Jade.." "Don't!" She just couldn't help the venom in her tone, she shrugged his hand off and stormed off to class.

Tori couldn't quite believe Beck had just done that, was he really that stupid? She screwed her face up at him and shrugged palms to sky? He just stood there staring at her with this 'what?' look on his face. She pushed past him and went after Jade but by the time she caught up with her she was already sat in class. Tori took the seat next to her and lightly rubbed Jade's arm as she sat down. Neither said anything, there was no need. At least Beck wasn't in this lesson with them so Jade would have time to compose herself before she saw him again.

As the lunch bell rung through the school Jade knew Tori was going to try and make her come to lunch with them but a whole hour with Beck would be torture, she would just have to say no even if Tori pushed the issue. As they walked out of class, Tori caught her arm, "Come on." "Tori, I can't," Jade shook her head and pulled back. "It's okay, Robbie's getting Beck to help him with some techy stuff," Tori smiled hopefully. Jade sighed, her eyes darting around the corridors, "Alright but if he comes I'll have to go." "That's fine," Tori nodded. Jade sighed but followed Tori out to the café. Andre and Cat were already there and as promised there was no sign of Beck or Robbie. They fetched their food and joined the others. The lunch hour went far faster than the last couple had and Jade had even managed to crack a smile once or twice, particularly when Sinjin had meandered over and given her the perfect opportunity to use one of her creative put downs. "So you want to come over tonight?" Tori asked her, "Andre's coming and possibly Robbie too." "and Beck?" Jade's expression was wary. "No, no he's got something on I think," Tori cringed, Robbie had texted her earlier saying Beck had a date tonight, he had not been particularly impressed with his friend's fast work either. "Yeah, ok then." Jade reasoned it'd be better than sitting at home wondering what Beck was doing. The bell rang sending them back to class.

Tori decided to take Jade up on her offer of a lift at the end of the day, she climbed into the car and started looking around, it was **very** Jade! The interior was completely black, as was the exterior, the air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror was in the shape of a skull and cross bones, she had black seat belt covers with diamante geckos on them and the top of the gearstick was a silver skull, although it wasn't Tori's cup of tea it was very cool! It was a well-known fact at Hollywood Arts that Jade's family was extremely rich, so it had always surprised Tori that more often than not she used to choose to travel in Beck's truck, she also didn't particularly favour designer labels or expensive jewellery either. "I just need to stop off somewhere on the way," Jade mentioned, shaking her from her thoughts. "Yeah, no rush," she said and settled back in her seat. Before long they pulled up outside the exclusive Hollywood Prep Middle School. Tori was slightly confused but just nodded as Jade got out and said, "I won't be long." A few minutes later she returned with a younger boy she recognised from somewhere, she looked at his dark wavy hair and big grey, green eyes and realised this must be Jade's brother. She couldn't recall her ever mentioning him when they'd all been together and as she had known her for nearly two years now that struck her as really strange. She was however; glad to be allowed to see a part of Jade's life that she usually kept so hidden. As they got into the car Jade simply said, "Tori, Aiden, Aiden, Tori," with a quick flick of her hand.

Before she started the car Jade pulled her phone out of her pocket and wrote a quick text to her Mom, 'I've got Aiden.' It wasn't through courtesy, merely to avoid an argument later. She glanced at Tori who had swivelled in her seat to face the back seat and was chatting away with her brother. Aiden was animated in his responses to her and Jade was pleased she'd come to fetch him. The look on his face when she'd walked in and told him to grab his stuff was priceless. She dropped Tori off at home and drove her brother to the local Pizza Hut. They had their tea and Jade took the opportunity to quiz Aiden about what had been happening in her absence, as she had suspected her Mom was up to her usual tricks, with Jade barely around to get at she had turned on him instead. He chatted away for the rest of their time together as if he hadn't spoken to anyone properly for months; she remembered that feeling of isolation well. They pulled up on the drive and he leant against her arm slightly, "Thank you." She just nodded.

Andre had been at Tori's for a while by the time Robbie arrived closely followed by Jade, they played cards for a while and talked about everything except Beck, Tori was a little on edge in case Robbie opened his mouth and mentioned Beck's date but he didn't and thank God he hadn't brought Rex with him. It had been a surprisingly pleasant evening even when Trina had gate-crashed for a short while. The boys left around half ten and Jade had gotten up to leave too but Tori had stopped her, "You don't have to go just yet, unless you need to?" Jade thought about what was waiting at home for her, _no it was fine she would stay_. Tori was dying to ask about Jade's brother but didn't quite know how to bring to up without sounding really nosey, so instead they just discussed the weirdness of Robbie, Sikowitz's new play that they were both in and Cat's latest strange obsession. Midnight arrived and Jade gathered her stuff to go, just before she left Tori ventured, "I don't suppose you feel like going shopping tomorrow with me, I was going to ask Cat but she's away with her uncles this weekend," Jade smirked, "so you want me to stand in then?" Tori's face dropped, "No, no, that sounds really bad, I didn't mean it like that." Jade laughed, "It's ok, I don't mind being your second choice." Tori knew she was teasing but still tried to back track a little "It's just we don't normally do these kind of things together." Jade placed her hand on her arm to stop her "It's really ok, I need to get some new clothes anyway, half my stuffs still at Becks and I'm not ready to fetch it yet." Tori relaxed, "Well if at some point you decide you need it, I can always get him to drop it off here for you." Jade contemplated that for a second, "I may actually take you up on that one thanks" Tori nodded, "Okay, well just let me know when." "Ok, I'll see you in the morning" and with that Jade was gone.

Jade woke up around 9am, this was the most she'd slept for a long time. She picked up her phone and text Tori, 'Morning, I'll pick you up at 11.' Well this would be an experience! She could just imagine the type of girly boutiques Tori shopped at, ugh, then again, her favourite haunts probably wouldn't be Tori's idea of heaven either. She supposed that's what being Tori's friend would mean, a bit of compromise. This was some learning curve! She headed for the shower still rolling her eyes at the thought.

Tori woke up around 10, she grabbed her phone, opened the text from Jade, panicked, replied and then quickly shifted herself, she could do it, she could be ready in an hour! She raced around getting showered, drying her hair and sorting out what she was going to wear. _What was wrong with her? She was only going into town with Jade!_ She had literally just hit the bottom of the stairs when Jade's car horn beeped, she grabbed her purse and ran out.

The local town centre was only a fifteen minute drive away. Once there they spent the first couple of hours shopping for the birthday cards and gifts that Tori had needed to fetch and then the time for dreaded girly boutiques arrived. Jade shook her head at half of the clothes they had on sale but she had to admit the stuff Tori picked wasn't horrendous, more just your average teenage girls attire. She had been dragged to the changing rooms in one particular store and as she stood outside the curtains she couldn't help wondering what Beck was doing right now, they'd always spent Saturday's chilling together. She was just about to log into the slap on her mobile when the curtain pulled back, "What do you think?" Tori had a pinky-orange top on with beaded detail across the neckline. "You're asking the wrong person," Jade said shaking her head. "I'm not asking if you like the top, just does it look okay?" Tori asked rolling her eyes. "You always look alright," Jade's tone was so matter of fact that Tori was stunned into silence for a second, "Well okay then, thanks." They finished up and left, "Coffee time now," Jade demanded, she needed a break from the shopping, she had never wandered around stores this much in her life. Tori laughed and stroked the side of Jade's face, "It's like shopping with a boy!" Jade laughed, "Sorry, but you know, it's just…me." "I'm finished now anyway, promise," Tori was still chuckling. They went to the local Starbucks and ate while they were there too, managing to chat away happily for the whole time. Although they were very different Jade was surprised how much they did actually have in common too.

When they had finished Tori looked at Jade, eyes glistening, "Okay, introduce me to shopping Jade West style!" Jade grinned and nodded, "Follow me." Tori genuinely was intrigued about where Jade would take her, the first stop being a small shop called Rowfers, the décor was completely black and purple with heavy gothic designs. As they wandered around Jade picked up various dresses, tops and pieces of jewellery. Tori would never have worn any of it but knew instantly that Jade would look fantastic in it all. She was one of those people who would even look good in rags. Jade headed over to the counter, "Aren't you trying them on?" Tori looked at her horrified. "I don't usually, if it doesn't fit I just bring it back but most of the time it's fine." Tori just stared at her for a second, "Just go and try them on! I want to see!" Jade sighed, rolled her eyes and then stomped over to the changing rooms, Tori was relishing this new found power of persuasion over Jade. With each change she saw she was right, Jade looked gorgeous in everything. The next shop, Salamanders, had similar décor to the last one only instead of purple it was heavy on a deep green shade. This shop held less of a clothing range but far more accessories and antiquities. Jade chose a bag, belt, ring and a small, intricate black and blue dragon sculpture. Tori found her tastes fascinating, "Where next?" She inquired. "I'm done," Jade shrugged. Tori laughed, "Okay, that took less than an hour! I can see why you got restless following me around." "I just know what I want, what I like….plus I'm a little more limited for choice really." Jade explained. "Fair enough….you wanna come back to mine for a bit?" Tori asked. "Yeah, why not." Jade nodded.

When they got to Tori's her Mom was just laying the table for dinner, Jade grimaced, she turned to Tori, "I'll just get off home now." Before Tori could answer her Mom shouted over, "No it's fine, stay for dinner, there's plenty here." Jade wasn't sure what to do, she didn't want to be rude but she wasn't good at the whole family thing. She'd struggled with Beck's even. It had taken her a long time before she had more than a brief interaction with them and still after all these years she was never entirely comfortable. Tori had dumped her bags on the sofa and was grabbing her hand to lead her towards the kitchen. It didn't look like she was getting a choice in this, "Okay, thank you," she said as pleasantly as possible. As they sat down to eat Tori had asked her Mom where Trina was, Jade was more than a little relieved that she was out, it would make the situation slightly easier anyway. She didn't talk much during the meal, just listened to them chat and answered politely when she was directly spoken too. The only adult other than Beck's parents that she had had a meal with in a very long time was Sikowitz and he was so crazy he wasn't even in the same category. She supposed that's why she was so fond of him really. Tori's Mom and Dad were nice though, she hadn't felt too awkward and they were genuinely interested in everything Tori was telling them about her day, which she found endearing. After the meal she thanked Tori's Mom and helped Tori wash up, she guessed this was what most normal families were like. Jade checked her phone, it was just after 6pm when they had finished clearing everything away. Who'd have thought she'd have ever been able to spend a whole day, alone with Tori and not want to pull her own teeth out. In fact, if she was honest, she'd, for the most part, enjoyed it really. "Movie time?" Tori stood there, eyebrows raised at Jade. "Why not," She grinned and headed over to the sofa's with her. As the film neared the end Jade felt her mood drop a little, she didn't understand it really but she didn't want to go. A few minutes later, as if she'd read Jade's mind, Tori turned to her, "Do you want to stay over? I've got spare pj's and you've got your new clothes with you for tomorrow!" Jade nodded slowly, "Yeah, that'd be good." She pulled her phone out and text her brother, 'Is she in?' 'She's just got back', he replied. 'Ok, just so you know, I'm staying at Tori's tonight. Be back tomorrow.' Her phone vibrated again, 'Promise?' That threw her a little, 'I promise!' she pressed send thoughtfully.

Tori rummaged through her clothes, she knew the bottoms wouldn't be a problem as they were roughly the same size but Jade was considerably larger in the chest area, she grabbed her baggiest t-shirt and handed it to Jade along with the pyjama bottoms. She grabbed her own stuff and headed to the bathroom. When she got back Jade was changed and standing looking at her photo montage. _Oh no. _There were group photos on there where Jade and Beck were wrapped around each other and sure enough as she drew level with Jade she could see tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. Tori rubbed Jade's arm reassuringly, suddenly, like a volcano erupting, Jade just let it all out, "I'm so lost Tori, I don't know what to do, I feel completely empty, it's not like I'm a nice person, I get it, I know I deserve this but I did love him, I really did, so much and I feel like he's reached in and ripped my heart right out of my chest, I feel dead inside." She sat down heavily on the edge of Tori's bed and put her head in her hands, the tears were flowing hard and fast now. Tori crouched down in front of her and pulled her hands away from her face. "Jade! Listen to me, you are not a bad person, you may like to pretend to be mean but deep down you're really not. You do not deserve to feel like this and I genuinely don't know why Beck finished it but that's his issue and sometimes things just don't work out. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you." Jade was shaking her head, she was totally lost in her despair. Tori was still gripping Jade's arms and as she rubbed her thumb across the soft skin of Jade's forearms she felt a raised line down the centre of her tattoo following the line of her vein. She froze and Jade glanced up, their eyes locked for a second, Jade was shaking from the force of her sobs and as she looked away she simply said, "It was a long time ago, before Beck, before Hollywood Arts." Tori went from being in shock to being completely horrified, before? That would mean she would have only been 13! So the tattoo wasn't an act of rebellion then merely a cover up of her vulnerability. Jade just wasn't calming down at all, Tori grabbed her hands and guided her up she pulled the covers back and eased Jade into bed, she climbed in next to her and enveloped her, resting her chin on the top of Jade's head, stroking her hair and repeating like a mantra, "It's going to be ok, I'm here, I'm not going leave you." Jade just lay there in her arms and continued to sob until she eventually fell into an exhausted sleep. Tori was still stroking Jade's hair long after she'd drifted off, she reasoned that Jade must have been deeply affected by her father leaving and that was why Beck ending it had devastated her to this degree. She felt an overwhelming urge to throttle Beck right now, even though she knew that was probably unreasonable. At some point she dozed off herself, with her arms still tightly wrapped around Jade.

When Jade woke up she was still lying entwined with Tori although in a more relaxed position, within seconds of coming round the events of the previous evening came flooding back, she was hit by a confusing mixture of emotions, embarrassment that she'd crumbled, shame that Tori knew what she'd done, despair that she couldn't stop the pain she was feeling but also relief that she'd voiced her feelings, gratitude that Tori had been there for her and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. She gently slipped Tori's arms from around her, she looked so sweet and peaceful when she was sleeping and she didn't want to disturb her. She picked up her clothes, headed to the bathroom and got washed and dressed. Tori was just surfacing as she came back into the room. "You ok?" She asked Jade sleepily. "Yeah I'm ok, sorry about last night and thank you." Tori smiled, "There's no need to apologise or thank me, really," she sat up and yawned. Jade stood folding the clothes Tori had lent her, Tori flung the covers back, "I'm going to go make a coffee," and as she walked past Jade she stopped and placed her hand on her shoulder, "I meant what I said last night, I'm here but I don't want to push you to accept anything from me, you just let me know what you want me to do, okay." Jade nodded and as Tori went downstairs she switched her laptop on and grabbed a disc from the pile on the desk, luckily as she'd hoped Tori had no password on her computer. By the time Tori returned with their drinks she was finished. They chatted about their homework over the coffee, then Jade got up to go, "I'd better go home, there's the homework for one and I promised Aiden last night I'd come back today." Tori nodded but she was convinced that really Jade was embarrassed about last night. Halfway down the stairs Jade said she had forgotten one of her bags and went to get it, she dropped the cd onto the bed and headed back down. She thanked Tori again and left.

Tori spotted the cd as soon as she walked back in her room, she smiled, stuck it in her stereo and pressed play not knowing what to expect! A slow rock beat seeped from the speakers, Tori sat on her bed and focused on the lyrics, "_How can you see into my eyes like open doors? Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb  
>Without a soul my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold until you find it there and lead it back home. (Wake me up) Wake me up inside (I can't wake up) Wake me up inside (Save me) call my name and save me from the dark (Wake me up) bid my blood to run (I can't wake up) before I come undone (Save me) save me from the nothing I've become. Now that I know what I'm without you can't just leave me<br>breathe into me and make me real bring me to life!" _Okay, so she definitely wanted her to stick around and help her then. She swore there and then that no matter how long it took, or what she needed to do, she would get Jade though this. She lay back on her bed and listened to the rest of the song, feeling a steely determination taking her over.

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><p><em><strong>A.N **_Song quoted is Evanescence ~ Bring me to life.

Hope you've enjoyed this chapter, next one will be up within the next few days. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A.N/ Disclaimer **_~ I am not Dan Schneider. I do not own the Victorious characters

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><p><span>The Power of a song.<span>

Chapter 3

Jade arrived home to silence, the rest of the household was still sleeping and she was glad. She left her bags in the hallway and headed for the kitchen, she didn't bother with breakfast, she was back to not feeling hungry again. She just made herself a coffee, she did genuinely think she must be addicted to caffeine now the way she went through cups of coffee. She pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table turning the cup in her hands, when she thought about last night she felt so confused. She had never let anyone see her like that before, even Beck. She looked down at the tattoo on her arm and her mind drifted back, she'd been 13 then, she was already different from other girls her age in so many ways, looks, she wasn't exactly your typical Cali girl, interests, she loved literature and was already writing plays, she ate, slept and breathed music, learning to play as many instruments as she could, she was addicted to knowledge and once she became intrigued by any given subject she would devour every bit of information she could find about it. Her Mom isolated her in every way possible, she didn't have any friends and was quite withdrawn, the castle walls already long since built, only back then there were still odd bricks missing which left weaknesses in her defences. Her father had just begun a relationship with some twenty-something year old wannabe playboy bunny and she hadn't seen him for a couple of months whilst he lavished his attention on it, her Mom was furious, jealous even maybe, added to that a big deal at work hadn't been going as planned and that had frustrated her even further, Jade had suffered for it, her bullying of her becoming relentless, even Jade's fortress couldn't withstand it. The breaking point came when she had returned from school one Friday afternoon to find two small suitcases in the hall. She'd gone to find her Mom and ask where they were going, fully expecting another boring hotel trip so her Mom could meet up with some man, usually married and a work colleague, only her Mom had explained that she was taking the then 8 year old Aiden to Disneyland for the weekend, that she wasn't taking her as she was too much of an embarrassment and she couldn't stand the thought of two whole days in her company. That alone had distressed Jade enough but her Mom hadn't stopped there, when the babysitter had arrived to watch her, her Mom had told her that Jade had been vile for months and wasn't going as a punishment and was to spend the weekend in her room. The woman had given her the most disgusted look and Jade had run to her room in tears. She had tried to call her father repeatedly but he just kept dropping the call only to eventually turn his phone off. She had sank into complete despair, she could see no glimmer of hope, no end to the misery and loneliness, she'd learnt enough about anatomy (one of her many obsessions) to know that slitting her wrist would be difficult and more often than not it was ineffective so she'd simply opened a vein. She'd bled out fast and if the sitter hadn't decided to check on her at the exact moment she did, Jade knew she wouldn't be here now, the rest of that incident was a blur of noise, 'stupid girl' comments, bright lights and hospital. The hospital had kept her in for days, only agreeing to release her after her Mom arranged for her to have therapy. The hospital stay hadn't bothered her really, in all honesty it was a welcome break and it was a kind nurse there who had unwittingly prompted the beginning of the change in her. One night she had sat on the edge of Jade's bed and told her, "You are only a child for a short while, soon you'll be in charge of your own choices and destiny and whatever it is that feels like the end of the world now will be merely a distant memory." Jade had thought about that repeatedly over the years, in fact she had it written on the inside of her ideas journal. The forced sessions with the psychiatrist were short lived as Jade refused to divulge anything of real importance to him choosing instead to continue playing along with the 'she'd been seeking attention' story that her Mom had told everyone involved. She had a natural flair for acting so it hadn't been hard, there had however, been one positive to come from it and that was that she had mentioned her love of music and the arts during one session and he had told her she should audition for Hollywood Arts, that it would give her a focus, a purpose. She had contacted them to arrange the audition as soon as she had gotten home. When the day arrived she had been so nervous, there had been thirty-nine other children auditioning that day alone and only five got in including her. The response to her acting piece had been amazing but when she'd sung the place had roared with applause and that's when things had really started to change for her. Her Mom could do nothing but agree to her accepting the place she was offered, as otherwise questions would have been raised, plus she was trying to keep the whole sorry incident from Jade's father. Jade had found this all quite empowering; she also quickly discovered that her talents commanded a certain amount of respect that she had never experienced before. She'd had the tattoo done the week prior to starting the school, it had annoyed her Mom so much and given her another small taste of victory that she hadn't hesitated when she decided she wanted the piercings too. During the first weeks at Hollywood Arts her distance and awkwardness had been mistaken for meanness and mystery, this coupled with her natural talent in everything she turned her hand to quickly bumped her up the social hierarchy, not that she was interested in that **at all** but it made for an easier school life and instilling fear, she soon discovered, kept people at a safe distance. The more she had embraced this persona the stronger she had felt in herself; even her Mom's efforts to crush her spirit were less effective. The walls became stronger, the tolerance of others became lower and slowly she became the Jade West everyone knew today. Then Beck had come along and things changed again. It had taken him a long time to get her to be with him, he'd slowly chipped away at her armour till he found a way in and once there took a strong hold. He'd given her things no-one else ever had, positive physical contact, affection and eventually love. Ever since the end of their first year when they'd decided they would be exclusive (not that she had seen anyone else during that time anyway), she had increasingly felt the nagging fear of losing him, she knew she was jealous and possessive but she just couldn't help it. The more time elapsed and their relationship stepped up gear after gear until they were practically living with each other, the more, deep down, she had believed they would always be together. She sighed, shook her head sadly, refilled her cup and went to grab a shower and make a start on the homework.

Tori had only tackled one piece of her homework when Andre knocked at the door, as she let him in he quickly scanned the room, "Is Jade here?" he asked shiftily. "No, she's at home, why?" Tori answered suspiciously. "Good! Have you been on the slap today?" He still sounded agitated. "No, I've just been trying to do some homework. Why?" She was getting a bad feeling about this. Andre handed her his phone and as Tori read the words on the screen her jaw dropped, "This is baaad!" "I know! Jade is going to kill her!" Andre's eyes were like saucers. Tori nodded but actually didn't agree, she thought of Jade breaking in her arms last night, that was more what was concerning her! "Maybe you should warn her," Andre suggested. Tori weighed it up, she didn't want Jade to see this by accident and she certainly didn't want her walking into school tomorrow and finding out there but she also didn't want to have to tell her something she knew would cause her more pain. _No, it would be better coming from her_. "Will you take me round to Jade's in a bit? I need time to prepare what I'm going to say first." "Sure," Andre nodded, "I'm not coming in with you though!"

Jade's Mom left around 11 for her regular Sunday afternoon session at the spa. Within minutes of her leaving Jade had fetched some money out of the drawer in the dining room that her Mom always kept a stash in, paid and dismissed the sitter. She brought the last bits of her homework down; told Aiden to fetch his and set drinks and snacks up for them on the table. "We get this done and then I'm going to annihilate you on guitar hero!" she said giving him her best death stare. "Okay! You can try!" Aiden grinned, which made his matching glare humorously ineffective.

Tori ended up waiting till after dinner to head over to Jade's, making Andre stay to join them. She knew she shouldn't put it off any longer so after they'd cleared up she bit the bullet and they headed over. As they pulled up at Jade's house Tori was in complete awe, I mean her house was not small but Jade's was huge! She sat for a minute just staring at Andre. "Do you want me to wait here till you come out?" he asked her. "What you **really **aren't coming in?" Tori had assumed he was joking. "Not a chance, she has her scissors in there, you've heard of the saying, shoot or in this case stab the messenger," his eyes were saucer like again. "You really have got her totally wrong you know Andre." Tori rolled her eyes. Andre crinkled his face up at her questioningly. She got out of the car and rang the bell. Jade didn't hide her surprise when she answered the door to her and on spotting Andre in the car, gestured for him to come inside. Even though he really, really didn't want to, he did as she directed. Tori glanced around the vast space that was the entrance hall. The place was as awe inspiring inside as it was out. "What's up?" Jade's voice gave away her suspicion of this unannounced visit. "I need to talk to you about something," Tori started. "I don't," Andre chipped in. Jade looked puzzled but laughed slightly, "Okay, well Aiden's through there in the den, you can go and hang with him if you want." She had barely finished the sentence before Andre disappeared and Tori stood there dreading what she was about to do. Jade gestured towards the kitchen and followed her in there, "So are you going to tell me what's going on then?" Jade's brows were furrowed with confusion. "I don't know how to say this…" Tori hesitated. "Just tell me already!" Jade was starting to get stressed. Tori got out her phone, logged into the slap, found what she was looking for and handed Jade the phone, "I didn't want you to find out at school tomorrow." Jade took the phone and winced at the image in front of her, Tori held her breath waiting for the inevitable meltdown, only it didn't come. As Jade looked up her eyes were glistening with tears but she was fighting them. She handed the phone back and took a deep breath in. "Jade..." Tori started. "It's okay, well it's not okay but there's nothing I can do about it." Jade shrugged. Tori was sure she was probably just in shock but was still relieved she was holding it together. Jade smiled sadly at her, "Do you and Andre have to go? Or do you want to stay for a bit?" "I'll check with Andre but I'm sure it'll be fine, we'll stay," Tori guessed she probably needed the distraction. They spent the rest of the afternoon messing about on various video games with Tori usually losing miserably, even to Aiden and Andre and Jade noisily battling it out for the top spot.

After Tori and Andre had left and her Mom had returned, Jade disappeared to her room. She pulled out the ornately carved, black wooden keepsake box she had brought a few years back from under her bed, she opened the lock and lifted the heavy lid. This was where she kept some of her most treasured or private possessions. She sat on the floor with the box in front of her, she started lifting out the contents, a photo of her paternal grandmother who had passed away some time ago now, a tiny necklace with a doll pendant that her father had brought her when she was younger, she knew it was more than likely his PA who had picked it but she still treasured it none the less. Her hospital bracelet, the gauze which had been placed over her tattoo and held the star shape in her blood, a letter she had written to herself, as suggested by the psychiatrist, even though she'd told him it was a stupid idea and that no way was she ever doing it, her acceptance letter for Hollywood arts, the first play she wrote at school which she had gotten an A* for and then every birthday, Valentines and Christmas card Beck had ever sent her. For all her eye rolling and sighing over romantic gestures she did secretly love them. She went over to her bedside cabinet, picked up the photo of her and Beck hugged it for a moment then removed it from the frame, she couldn't hold the tears back any longer, although this time they were slow sad tears instead of the desperate sobs which had become so familiar to her recently. She took a last look and then placed it in the bottom of the memory box. She went over to her desk and slowly removed the photos of Beck that were blue-tacked to the wall in-between her posters and added them too. Next went in the promise ring and the necklace that held it. She put the other items back in and slowly closed the lid, she sighed deeply as she locked it. She knew that many people were prone to dramatically throwing away or burning everything following a painful break up but she loved Beck too much to do that, she would never regret the three years she'd spent with him. He'd taught her how to feel, to trust, to allow someone into her heart, he'd been her sanctuary from her home life and yes he may have hurt her but that didn't cancel all that out, but he was moving on and that meant she had to find a way to let him go. Staring at his photos wasn't going to help the situation but locking them in the box was like symbolically locking them away in her heart, treasured but hidden. She wiped her tears, _enough now, _put the box away and rang Tori to distract herself.

Tori hadn't slept well at all, she knew Jade had seemed fine when she had spoken to her last night but facing school, the gossips, Beck and now what was likely to be a very gloating Brittany Summers, was a whole different ball game. It was the choice in girl that had shocked her even more than Beck going on a date that soon. The only person more indiscreet in the whole school was Trina! Beck should have known the first thing Brittany would do was post their trip to the bowling alley all over the slap and he'd even more stupidly posed for a photograph with her, which, as everyone else would have expected knowing her, was now her profile picture. She was genuinely worried about how Jade was going to handle today.

Jade spent the whole time she was getting ready steeling herself for what would be facing her at school today. She was determined to keep a check on her emotions, she knew, no matter how hard she'd tried, that last week most people had known she was struggling. Luckily, due to the fact they'd expected her to blow at someone, they'd kept their distance. This week she was determined to keep it together and be as normal as she ever got. At least she knew Tori would be by her side, although Monday mornings were when Jade and Andre both ended up in senior classes, Jade had advanced script writing class and Andre was in advanced song writing. This wasn't a bad thing though as at least she'd be nowhere near either Beck or giggling Brittany, she was genuinely floored by him going anywhere near her. She left her house early knowing she really couldn't hang about thinking any longer, she headed to Starbucks and grabbed coffees and breakfast muffins and went to fetch Tori.

Tori had only just finished getting dressed when Jade knocked at the door bearing coffee, breakfast and a smile. She didn't know why but it really made her morning. Trina was in full on screech mode at her Mom again so she grabbed her bag and gestured to Jade to head back out. Jade drove them to the park not far from school and they sat and ate by the pond watching the ducks. It was serene and she guessed exactly what Jade needed before facing the day ahead. They didn't discuss it, they didn't discuss much really, just enjoyed the tranquillity. When the time came to leave Jade stood up first and held her hand out to her to help her up, she took the hand that was offered and once up pulled Jade towards her and hugged her, as Jade wrapped her arms around her she felt her stomach flip. _Strange._ She put it down to worrying about what would happen at school.

As expected the halls fell deathly silent when Jade walked in which could only mean that moments earlier they had been buzzing with the latest tantalising piece of gossip. She went straight to her locker and got ready for class. She saw Beck heading her way out the corner of her eye, shut her locker door quickly and headed for the stairs pretending not to have seen him. She didn't even stop to acknowledge Tori who was still at her own locker, she'd know she'd meet her at lunchtime. "Jade!" Beck caught up with her, gripped her arm and turned her towards him. "What?" She looked at him in exasperation, "What really could you want to say to me right now Beck?" "Don't be like that!" He retorted. "Like what? What do you want me to be like? I'm not even raising my voice Beck, or is that what you want? You want me to cause a scene?" She was managing to stay so calm she was even shocking herself. "No. No, I just wanted you to know that it wasn't like she's making out" he tried to explain. "We're not together anymore Beck, you want to go play with things like that then go for it." Jade started to turn away. "It was just one night out, she asked me, I knew I'd be bored at home, I've no intention of dating that, I mean her," Beck rambled. "Well you'd best go tell her that then hadn't you." Jade took slow deep breaths as she carried on up the stairs to class, she'd dealt with it and actually managed to not make herself look like a complete idiot. _Bonus_. Her phone beeped in her pocket, Tori, of course, the message simply said, 'Good girl, see you at lunch xo' The rest of the day was relatively calm, the rumour mill was still well and truly spinning but Jade just shut herself off from it. She saw Beck desperately trying to distance himself from Brittany at lunch time and it was strangely, slightly amusing to watch. Tori had persuaded her to spend the evening with her and Cat. For all her protesting she didn't mind really, she'd been friends with Cat since the first week when she'd stepped in to stop her getting blatantly ridiculed by another group of students, Cat hadn't been able to see what they were doing. Jade may not be a pleasant person but she couldn't stand bullies and she certainly couldn't stand by and watch someone as defenceless as Cat get subjected to that kind of treatment. She drove her completely nuts sometimes, trying to protect her from her own stupidity was wearing and she had lost her temper with her on many, many occasions but she would never let anyone hurt Cat. She had actually been relieved when Tori had befriended her too as this had lessened the responsibility, not that she would previously have admitted to that. She dropped Tori off and headed home for a couple of hours after school but was careful to leave before her Mom got in from work. Avoidance was always the best option. She went to pick Cat up and was, as usual, dragged in there as Cat's Mom 'hadn't seen her in ages!' She didn't dislike Cat's Mom but she was just an older version of Cat and her brother, well, the less said the better, Jade felt so very sorry for Cat's Dad. After the obligatory ten minutes of mindless chatter they headed over to Tori's.

Tori was glad she'd managed to persuade Jade to come over with Cat tonight, one thing that had bugged her since the three of them had been to Karaoke Dokie all that time ago, was that they'd had such a brilliant night and yet since then there had only been one occasion where just the three of them had spent any time together and that had been when they were practicing Andre's Christmas song. She heard Cat before she'd even got to the door, she was so over excited. She laughed and went to let them in, Cat danced past her with arms full of her make-up case and hairstyling equipment. Jade followed her in shaking her head, as her eyes met Tori's she mouthed, "What have you got me into?" "I don't know," she mouthed back and they both started laughing. She took the brunt of Cat's makeover night in the end anyway, Jade got away with just reluctantly agreeing she could redo her nails as long as they stayed black. When she'd finished with them both Cat shoved a hairbrush at Jade, "Brush my hair for me please" That baby voice always irritated Jade, "Why?" "Because I like it," Cat said giving Jade her sweetest smile. Jade rolled her eyes but sat forward on the sofa and Cat deposited herself on the floor between her feet. Jade started gently brushing her hair and Tori went to make them all a drink. Watching Cat and Jade sat together like that made her feel all warm and fuzzy and it occurred to her that as much as she'd seen Jade yelling at Cat she'd also seen her smiling at her or looking after her too. It was strange how they all fell into the trap of focusing on the negative parts of Jade's behaviour and personality. It was like unless you properly thought about it, you completely missed the sweeter side of her. Maybe it was just easier to acknowledge the bad stuff or maybe that was all Jade had really wanted them to see.

Tuesday arrived and school was uneventful, which for Jade at the moment was a good thing. She had a plan for the evening that she was hoping wouldn't back fire on her too much. When they finished for the day she detoured to fetch Aiden again. She was about to drop Tori off at home when she got another of those strange feelings she didn't quite understand, she didn't want her to go, "We're going to go grab something to eat and then catch a movie, do you want to come with us?" Tori glanced between the matching pairs of eyes that were fixed on her, "I'd love to." Jade smiled and nodded and pulled back off the drive, Aiden gave her a far more vocal and enthusiastic response. Jade gave Aiden the choice of where to eat and of course he'd chosen McDonalds, she'd expected that, she knew giving him the choice of movie carried no risk, she was certain he'd choose The Hunger Games, which she was totally fine with, she had read the books a while ago and loved them. She was right, she'd also been prepared to be conned into buying him popcorn, drinks and ice-cream too. They took their seats and she ended up sat in between Tori and Aiden. As the lights dimmed she turned to look at Tori, she felt a pang of regret for all the time she'd wasted being difficult and rejecting her repeated attempts at friendship, she couldn't imagine not spending time with her now.

Tori realised Jade was looking at her and turned towards her, the screen, which was now showing the previews, lit up her face and her beautiful smile. She'd been pleasantly surprised that she'd asked her to come with them. As the film started and they turned to watch it, she slipped her hand into Jade's and Jade interlocked her fingers with hers. This time the butterflies in her stomach were unmistakeable, she didn't move her hand though.

After the movie, Jade dropped Tori off and then headed home. As they pulled onto the drive she turned to Aiden, "Whatever happens, I'll deal with it okay." He didn't speak, just nodded at her. Their Mom met them in the hallway as they came through the front door, "Aiden, room, now." Aiden looked at Jade nervously, she nodded and he ran off up the stairs. "Where have you been?" Jade swore her Mum could probably freeze stuff with her voice if she wanted to. "McDonalds and the movie theatre," she replied in matter of fact tone. "It's a school night," her Mom was just glaring at her, shouting and screaming would be less unnerving. "And his bedtime is not for another hour, I don't see the problem here." Jade was careful to maintain eye contact with her Mom at all times. "Be very careful Jade, you really don't want to start a war with me," she glared at her menacingly but as always kept her tone level. "I didn't think I was," Jade turned and slowly walked up the stairs waiting to hit the top step before exhaling.

Tori joined the rest of her family on the sofa when she got in, she'd had a good night but the one thought that kept swirling around her mind and confusing her was why she'd held Jade's hand. She couldn't explain why she'd done it but it had just felt right at that moment and Jade obviously hadn't minded as she didn't pull away. The more she thought about it though the more confused she became, she wouldn't have done that with anyone else, she never had before, except when she'd been with Steven but that was totally different, she was dating him. Her Dad put his arm around her and she leaned into him. She tried to focus on the television and put it out of her mind.

First period on Wednesday morning's was Sikowitz's class, Jade knew he was likely to pair her and Beck up today. One thing that man had was a knack for sensing any disharmony in the group, she knew his heart was in right place even if his involvement wasn't always welcome. She was right, she spent the whole lesson doing improv work with Beck, it actually wasn't as bad as she thought as once she got herself into character she could pretty much detach herself from her feelings. She just made sure that the second the class finished she made a beeline for Tori and got away from him.

Tori had made arrangements with Andre for the evening and when Jade dropped her off after school she felt her heart sink as she drove off. She didn't like the fact she wouldn't see her now until the morning, which was ridiculous, she loved hanging out with Andre, two weeks ago she only really saw Jade in class, at lunchtimes or with Beck. She watched Jade drive out of sight and shook her head. She was just being daft. Still, she couldn't shake that feeling, she was so distracted while she did her homework, kept checking her phone for a text even though she knew she would have heard the ping. She was on the verge of ringing Jade as Andre arrived laden down with goodies. They settled down and stuck a dvd on, although there wasn't much point as Andre talked non-stop through it about his date on Saturday night. "So then her dress caught fire and the whole club burnt down," he watched Tori's face for her reaction. "Uh huh," she nodded. "I knew it!" Andre exclaimed, "You haven't listened to a word I've been saying have you?" "I'm sorry…I have, well…bits of it," she said apologetically. "Okay, tell Uncle Andre what's wrong!" He caught her eye and raised his eyebrows at her. "It's nothing, really," she shrugged. "It obviously is something; you've been somewhere else all night," he shuffled a little closer to her. "Sorry," she genuinely felt bad for not listening to him. "It's ok, really, just tell me what's on your mind." Before she had a chance to respond he realised the answer himself, "Jade! That's what's up isn't it." She looked at him and scrunched her face up, "Yes…I don't know what it is, Andre but I just can't stop thinking about her." "Yeah, she can do that to you," he laughed. "Oh yeah, I remember now," she cringed. Andre smiled, "and what did you tell me?" She shook her head, "No, this is different Andre, I've spent so much time with her recently, seen a whole different side to her," as he went to protest she held her hand up to stop him, "More than the fleeting glance you saw, much, much more. She's…" she couldn't find the words she wanted. "I have to say, Sunday afternoon she surprised me," he admitted, "she was good to be around but Tori if you're saying what I think you're saying, you are not in for an easy ride you know." "I know," she sighed. "For a start there's Beck," he pointed out. "No! He finished with her, he's not a factor now, and he's made it quite obvious he doesn't want her!" She was being a little over defensive and she knew it. Andre shook his head, "I didn't even mean that, I meant that Jade's still totally in love with him." Tori shrugged, "but she will get over him eventually." "Maybe, but what about your Mom, Dad, Trina what would they think?" "Mom and Dad are chilled with the whole gay issue, they have a few close friends who are. I don't think it'd be a problem for them really and Trina might be weird because it's Jade and maybe a bit shocked at first but that'd be her problem. **Anyway **I'm not saying it'd happen, I mean I don't even know if Jade would….I don't know if **I** would, I'm just confused that's all." Andre grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him for a hug, "Well if you're this confused then I think you probably do like her more than just as a friend and I think you're going to have to let her know that because it's only going to get worse Tori." She knew he was right, the more time she spent with her the more she couldn't bear to be apart from her. She was on her mind constantly. She pulled back from Andre and changed the subject, "Okay, I'm listening now, you have my full attention, tell me about your date again."

Jade was keeping a low profile, her Mom was right about one thing, she didn't want to start a war with her. She spent the evening in her room; she did her homework, listened to music and after a while grabbed her sketch pad. She loved to draw but she had been so busy with writing, music and until recently, Beck that it'd been a while since she'd indulged that particular hobby. She didn't think about what she was going to draw, just put the pencil to the paper and went with it. An hour later Tori's sweet face was smiling up at her.

When Andre had gone, Tori started getting ready for bed but her head was still swimming with their conversation about Jade. She picked up her phone, stared it for a while and then typed in, 'Missed you tonight.' Her finger hovered over the send button for what seemed like forever, she took a deep breath, and pressed it. She was sure it was a fairly harmless statement really, she could twist it to be less meaningful if she needed to, her phone pinged, she held her breath as she opened the text, 'Ditto' was all it said. She smiled and switched her computer on, she hunted for the song she was after and grabbed a disc from the pile, this however would be a little harder to backtrack from. She would have to gauge tomorrow whether to give it to her or not.

Jade woke up and grumbled to herself when she saw the time, 5.27am Ugh even for her this was early! She wrapped the duvet tighter around herself hoping to drift back off but it just didn't happen. She picked up her phone and opened Tori's last text, the only person who'd ever told her that they missed her was Beck and that was only when he'd been in Canada. She reluctantly climbed out of bed and started to get ready, oh how she wished she'd invested in a coffee machine for her room. She was completely ready before 7am, she pulled her sketch pad onto the bed and gazed at her drawing. She picked up her phone and text Tori.

Tori had just opened her eyes when Jade's text arrived, 'Fancy breakfast in the park again?' That woke her up! 'Yep, give me half an hour and I'm all yours. xo' After she had sent it she cringed a little at the wording before hurriedly getting ready. She was sat outside on the wall when Jade pulled up, as she got in the car she saw Jade was wearing her new black top with long sheer sleeves and her black skirt, tights and boots. She had never seen anyone else pull that combination off with the finesse that Jade did. They chatted more over their breakfast this time, mostly about the film, the atmosphere being completely different from Monday morning. She had definitely noticed a shift in Jade's mood this last few days and it pleased her.

Jade leaned back on her elbows. She watched the swans, ducks and geese all swimming in their own little cliques on the pond, it reminded her of school. It was so relaxing here at this time of day as apart from the odd dog walker no-one else really came near. She could quite happily wile away many hours here just chatting with Tori. She glanced at the time on her phone, unfortunately school called.

Tori was surprised to find Beck waiting by her locker before last period. "Hey," he smiled. "Hi Beck, what's up?" She tried to sound as normal as possible. He leaned against the locker, "I need you to do something for me Tori." "Depends what it is," here came that bad feeling again. "Robbie and Rex are meeting up with a few Northridge girls on Friday night and he asked me to go with him, it's not really a date or anything but I don't want Jade finding out and getting even more annoyed with me. She seems to spend most of her time with you now, so will you speak to her for me please?" He smiled hopefully. Tori shook her head in disbelief, "No Beck I won't, I'm sorry, you're my friend and everything but you are so far out of line it's unreal." "What do you mean?" Beck looked at her with genuine confusion. "I don't want to have this discussion with you." She shut her locker and went to walk away but Beck caught her arm and pulled her back, "Well I do! Seriously, what are you on about?" She hesitated for a second, "Okay…Well seeing as you insist…firstly what you did to Jade the night you finished with her was actually really cruel! Secondly, you've acted like the three years you spent with her meant absolutely nothing to you, I've not even seen you looking remotely bothered while Jade on the other hand has been completely devastated and thirdly I can't even believe you went out on a date four days after splitting up with her and expected her to be okay with it!" Beck stood there for a minute digesting what she'd just said. "Alright, in hindsight, maybe I should have gone off somewhere and spoken to her but it wasn't exactly planned, it just happened like that and Jade just doesn't do devastated, after three years, I know she's just not capable of that." He didn't try to defend against the date comment as he already knew she had a valid point there. "Even if it did just happen, you've still made no effort to apologise to her or make it right which is just as bad and you really didn't know her very well at all if you think you haven't hurt her." She shook her head, "Do whatever you're going to do Beck just don't involve me okay!" She turned and walked off to class, leaving Beck stood looking bewildered, "Tori!" He yelled after her, "Since when did you start caring so much about Jade." She glanced back over her shoulder, "Since you broke her heart."

Jade didn't even bother going home after school, just went straight to Tori's with her. Andre and Cat descended a little later, Robbie was with Beck which she was glad of, she hadn't forgotten how horrible it was the other week when she'd been avoiding him and ended up by herself and she wouldn't like the thought of Beck being in the same position. She was going to have to find a way to be around him again soon as it wasn't fair on the others. They played cards for a while and when Trina invited herself to join them she tried so hard not to be sarcastic, for Tori's sake, but failed miserably. Trina just made it too easy, she was more than a little relieved when she noticed Tori was biting back a grin. Eventually Trina disappeared to make a call and never came back down. Andre left to take Cat home around 10pm and she went to leave shortly after, Tori stepped outside after her and pulled the door almost shut behind her. As they said their goodbyes she held her gaze for a second and Jade felt the oddest sensation in the pit of her stomach, she also had this weird feeling, like Tori was about to kiss her or something. She shook her head to physically pull herself out of the thought. "I'll see you in the morning," she said as she walked off. When Jade got in her car, she almost missed the silver disc lying on the passenger seat; Tori must have snuck it in here when she went to the bathroom. She picked it up and slid it into the car stereo, she pulled off the drive just as the song started to play. _"__What day is it? And in what month? __This clock never seemed so alive, __I can't keep up and I can't back down__, __I've been losing so much time__. __Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do__,_ _nothing to lose __and it's you and me and all of the people__ a__nd I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you .__All of the things that I want to say__, j__ust aren't coming out right__. __I'm tripping on words, you've got my head spinning__, I__ don't know where to go from here. __Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do__, n__othing to prove__ a__nd it's you and me and all of the people__ a__nd I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you."_ She pulled over, leaned back in her seat and concentrated on the rest of the song. _"There's something about you now, __I can't quite figure out. __Everything she does is beautiful, __everything she does is right. __Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do__, n__othing to lose __and it's you and me and all of the people__ a__nd I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you."_ She clicked it back to the beginning and played it again in case she'd misunderstood the message, but no, there was no other way to take it. She hadn't imagined it then, the only problem now was, as the song said, where to go from here.

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><p><strong><em>A.N _**Sorry for the delay in updating, I got sidetracked reading. The song qouted in this chapter is Lifehouse ~ you and me

Hope you've enjoyed this chapter, chapter 4 is almost finished so I will update in the next day or two and the rating will have to change to M. Thanks for taking the time to read this.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A.N/ Disclaimer_** ~ I am not Dan Schneider. I do not own the Victorious characters.

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><p><em><em>The Power of a Song.

Chapter 4.

Tori wasn't convinced she'd done the right thing leaving the cd in the car. What if she was wrong? What if that spark was just on her side? What if she'd read Jade wrong? There was nothing she could do now but wait for a response. She started getting ready for bed and prayed she'd get an answer sooner rather than later.

Jade was surprised to find her Mom still up when she got home, she was sat at the kitchen table, with a bunch of share portfolios in front of her, no surprise there though. She stared at her for a second, her Mom, Heather, was undeniably pretty but looked very different to Jade. She was taller, had long, dark blonde hair, tanned skin and thin, cold looking lips, the only physical features they shared were their eye colour and near flawless complexions. Jade was definitely more like her father and his family. She decided to negate making a drink and was just about to go up to her room when Heather spoke, "Your brother and I will be away this weekend." Jade grimaced and shook her head, she took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway to face her mother, "I assume you're taking a sitter with you, will Aiden even be in the same suite?" Memories of similar trips when they were younger filled her mind. Heather looked up and locked her icy cold eyes on Jade's, her voice, as always, stayed level, the tone however was vicious, "Do not come in here pretending that you suddenly care about what happens in this house just because your boyfriend broke up with you." Jade physically recoiled, that dagger had landed exactly where it was meant to, "What?" Heather's eyes hadn't faltered, "You heard me." Jade fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. "What makes you think he finished with me?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, she didn't really want an answer, however, she got one, "Because you, Jadelyn, are not stupid enough to end a relationship with the only boy at school that could possibly enhance your career, the power couple." The last part was said with a hint of sarcasm. Jade's jaw dropped and before she had time to even think of a response to that one her Mom continued, "What you don't seem to realise is we are similar creatures, you and I." "I am NOTHING like you," Jade spat back, the hurt and anger beginning to bubble over. "Oh but darling you are. You can't honestly tell me you've never stomped on anyone to get to be the top of your game! The **STAR** of the show." Jade's eyes dropped to the floor, she couldn't deny it, she'd done it frequently. A vile grin spread across Heather's face, "See! It's not a bad thing anyway; showbiz is far more cutthroat than the corporate world and that ruthless streak will serve you well, why do you think I'm so successful," Heather's attention went back to her paperwork. Jade stood there for a minute, trying to compose herself, it wasn't working, "Have you any idea how much I hate you?" her voice was low and shaky. Heather didn't even look up, she merely smiled and replied, "Probably." Jade turned and ran up the stairs, she slammed her door shut behind her and threw herself on her bed, a river of hot, angry tears streamed down her cheeks like lava flowing from a volcano. She wanted to smash something but what would be the point? Was she really like her Mom? The person she hated most in the whole world! No, no she wasn't, there may be elements but she wasn't the same, she had loved Beck because she loved him not because of what he could do for her! She had done mean things to people over the years but she'd never really hurt anyone, well nothing lasting anyway. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs, squeezing them tightly. She didn't want to be like her, she was never going to be all rainbows and butterflies but she knew she would have to make a conscious effort to soften her edges if she was going to avoid ending up like the bitter shell of a person that was sat in her kitchen. As she sat there mentally dissecting every aspect of her personality she heard shuffling outside on the landing, a slither of white appeared in the gap at the bottom of her door. A piece of paper was being pushed through; she got off the bed and went to fetch it. She wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve and opened the folded piece of paper, the words in front of her brought a little comfort, 'Thank you for trying to help me and don't worry you're not like her. I love you, from Aiden'

Tori was just getting into bed when her phone pinged, she knew it would be Jade, she picked up the phone like it was a hand grenade. She took a deep breath and opened the message, 'Mom's going away for the weekend, do you want to come and stay here with me?' She breathed a sigh of relief, well either she was ok about how she felt or she felt the same, either way at least it hadn't ruined anything. She read the text again and grinned, 'A sleepover at Jade's' now that was something no-one would ever believe! She met her mom on the stairs as she was coming up to bed, "Can I stay at Jade's this weekend please?" "Yes, of course you can," her Mom was looking at her quizzically. "I know, I know, but she's kind of sweet underneath," Tori grinned. "I know I was here the other day too," her Mom chuckled, "That wasn't what I was…never mind," she laughed a little louder this time. Tori giggled at her Mom, "Ok, thanks, goodnight," she kissed her Mom on the cheek and went back to her room. She sat on her bed and text Jade back 'Yes, definitely xo' The response was almost instant 'Good, I'll see you in the morning, goodnight.' 'Goodnight, sleep well and sweet dreams. See you tomorrow xo' she snuggled down under the duvet and the smile that was etched on her face was still there as she drifted off to sleep.

Jade was, as usual, up showered, changed and in the kitchen before 7.30am, she'd done her morning texting with Tori and had laid Aiden's breakfast out, he was quite capable of doing it himself but it was a small thing that she could do to show him she cared, she wasn't good with the whole I love you and cuddles bit. She had occasionally hugged members of her close circle of friends when the situation had warranted it or more often than not it was actually because she hadn't given it any particular thought and had just done it but until recently it was only Beck who she had genuinely shown any real affection to. She had never told him she loved him though, she didn't know why she hadn't and he'd always known that she did, he had told her before that he could see it in her eyes. She cursed herself again for being so closed in, she was trying though but she couldn't just rewire seventeen years of protective programming overnight. Aiden came into the kitchen just as she was finishing her coffee, he plonked himself at the table and smiled as he poured his cereal into the bowl Jade had left out for him. "Listen, just make the most of this weekend ok, maybe the sitter will be good and do stuff with you," She was trying to sound reassuring. "I doubt it but it's alright, I'll just play on my ds or laptop, it's no big deal, I'm used to it now," he replied. "Well, how about we watch a film together when you get back on Sunday? Sound ok?" Jade raised her eyebrows at him. "Yeah that would be cool!" Aiden grinned at her, she smiled and ruffled his hair as she walked past to leave for school.

Tori had been up early and packed her stuff for the weekend, she was more excited than she should be and she was aware of it. She didn't know exactly what was happening with her and Jade but she knew that she craved the time they spent together and the thought of a whole weekend was bliss. It was like the more she got to know about Jade the more she fascinated her, she was as deep as any ocean and as complicated as a rubix cube, she suspected that no-one would ever be able to completely figure out the enigma that was Jade West but she was certainly having fun trying. She heard Jade beep her car's horn, grabbed her stuff and left.

Jade was finding school easier again now, between the gossip having died off a bit and Tori being as glued to her as their schedule's allowed she was coping. She still hadn't managed a proper conversation with Beck since his attempt to explain his date on Monday but she wasn't actively avoiding him either. Hurt as she was and thoughtless as he was being, she still couldn't imagine never speaking to him again, losing him from her life completely would never be an option, she just wasn't able to be around him properly yet. At least she had a stress free weekend ahead, no Mom, Tori there with her and no need to even think about anything else. She barely gave Tori time to pack her stuff away at the end of the day before she hurried her out to the car.

As they pulled up at Jade's, Tori still couldn't quite shake that feeling of awe at the size of the place. She spotted Jade pulling a face as she noticed the very flash Mercedes sitting on the drive, ah her Mom must be there still. Tori was actually quite intrigued by what Jade's Mom would be like, Beck had made a snide comment about her when Jade had been in a particularly vile mood one day and Cat had said that she'd met her and looked unimpressed but not divulged anything further. She wondered if Jade looked like her, she had met her Dad that time at the play and seen similarities but she was far from his double, Jade's voice cut into her thoughts, "Just ignore my Mom, she'll be gone soon okay." Tori was taken aback by the quiver in Jade's voice, she sounded…almost worried. They got out of the car and headed into the house, she saw Aiden coming down the stairs with a small suitcase and laptop bag, they exchanged pleasantries and he stood by the door waiting, Jade however, was stood there with her arms folded tightly across her chest and this made Tori slightly nervous. Jade's Mom appeared at the top of the stairs, _okay so Jade looked nothing like her Mom_. Her movements down the stairs were slow and graceful but her eyes were locked on Jade and the stare was unmistakably icy, as she came level with her daughter she stopped in her tracks, Tori could see Jade's whole body tense up and for a moment they just glared at each other, she wanted to reach out and wrap her arms around her, protect her from whatever was coming but she knew she couldn't. "Right, well were off now," Heather's voice was cold and monotone. "Okay, bye then," Jade looked down, slightly relieved but then, "What a shame you aren't with Beck anymore, you could have had the whole house to yourselves this weekend instead of being in that cramped little RV." Heather smiled to herself at her parting shot and ushered Aiden out of the door. Tori couldn't quite believe what she had just heard; ok now that had given her more insight into Jade's attitude and behaviour than anything else before. Jade was still stood there with her head bowed and her arms folded, Tori stepped up behind her and wrapped her arms over the top of Jade's, she stayed there like that for a minute before she peeled Jade's arms open and ducked underneath one to face her. Jade's pale cheeks were flushed red, "Sorry," she mumbled still gazing down. "Don't you dare say sorry," she demanded, "That was not your fault... are you listening?" Jade nodded and looked up, as their eyes met she felt that unmistakable butterflies feeling in her stomach again, she tried distracting herself from it by pulling Jade into her arms but as Jade wrapped her own arms around her in return the feeling just intensified.

Jade felt so stupid, she was used to her Mom's evil comments but having them delivered in front of someone else always made it so much worse, it was one of the reasons she'd always avoided having any close friendships. Even with Beck the only time he and her Mom had crossed paths was by accident and ill-timing. Stood here with Tori wrapped around her though, she felt the tension start to evaporate. She didn't know why she had this effect on her but she was very grateful that she did. She could have just stayed there like that for hours but forced herself to part from her, "Ok, guided tour first so you know where everything is."

Tori couldn't believe this place it was astounding! It looked like one of those show homes. She couldn't imagine feeling comfortable living somewhere like this though, she'd be scared to touch anything. She was more than happy to spend the majority of the evening in the den, which was the only room she'd seen that looked remotely lived in. They spent a couple of hours playing on SingStar which for them was more like an extended Karaoke session as they always killed it! They got changed for bed early, selected movies for their marathon, ordered pizza and settled on the plush sofas for the rest of the evening. It was after 1am when the final movie finished and they headed up to the bedroom. As usual, the first thing Jade did on entering was turn the stereo on, selecting her more chilled night-time playlist. She climbed on to the bed and Tori pulled herself up to join her. "Who sings this?" She screwed her face up thoughtfully. "Oh Tori," Jade shook her head in mock despair, "Only one of the greatest singer/songwriters that ever **lived**!" Tori still looked at her blankly, "John Lennon!" Jade exclaimed. "Oh, yeah," Tori laughed a little embarrassed, "well I just forget for a minute," Jade mimicked her in the Southern Belle voice she'd always favoured but instead of annoying her, Tori actually found that this time it just seemed playful and teasing, she pulled a mock shocked face, "Right, you, that's it," she dived on top of Jade knocking her flat on the bed, she grabbed her arms and pinned them just above her head, she was aware that Jade was letting her, she was far stronger than her and as she leaned over Jade bringing their face's level the butterflies returned with force and she took a sharp intake of breath, the song in the background changed and as the words filtered out they were both rooted to the spot, eyes locked. '_Settle down with me__. __Cover me up__, __Cuddle me in__, __Lie down with me __and hold me in your arms __and your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck__, __I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet __and with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now__. __Kiss me like you wanna be loved_, _you wanna be loved__, __you wanna be loved. __This feels like falling in love__, __falling in love__. __We're falling in love.'_ Tori leaned slowly towards Jade and as their lips met the electricity was almost palpable, she released Jade's arms and Jade ran her fingers through Tori's hair pulling her in towards her and intensifying the kiss_. __Settle down with me __and I'll be your safety__, __you'll be my lady. __I was made to keep your body warm __but I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms. __Oh no__, __my heart's against your chest, your lips pressed in my neck__, __I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet __and with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now. _Jade sat up, guiding Tori towards her with her hands on the base of her back; Tori wrapped her legs around Jade, cupped her face in her hands and stared deeply into her eyes. Their pounding hearts were so loud they were almost audible, breath so rapid it barely filled their lungs before being released, she kissed her again with an urgency she had never felt before. Jade's hands slid up the back of her top, she shuddered and let out a faint gasp which was quickly devoured by Jade's kiss. There was no space for any rational thought, no time for questioning this, she was driven by pure desire now, she wanted Jade with every fibre of her being, she wanted her to take her, claim her in a way that no-one else had. She dropped her hands from Jade's face and grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt, she started to peel it off but Jade grabbed it and pulled it back down. She felt confused and a little hurt, this showing instantly in her expression. "No, don't pull that face," Jade held Tori's face in her hands and looked her straight in the eye, "I want you, I **really **want you, believe me," Tori was even more confused, "I just need you to be sure, I don't want you to wake up tomorrow regretting this and hating me for it," her eyes dropped, "I can't lose you now." Tori's face lit up as she was consumed by a sudden rush of love, just the fact Jade would even consider that spoke volumes, she held Jade's hands and slid them from her face, gently kissing them as they passed her lips, "that just isn't going to happen, you're stuck with me now I'm afraid." She felt like her smile was too big for her face and as Jade raised her eyes to meet hers she could see she was mirroring the grin, she looked so beautiful, with an innocence that was unexpected, "but if it makes you feel better, we'll wait," she laughed slightly, "somehow."

Jade laughed and bit her bottom lip, she scanned the delicate features of Tori's face, she really was stunning, she ran her thumb across Tori's silken lips before leaning in to kiss her, trying to keep it softer this time. She wanted her so badly, it would have been so easy to just go with it but she knew without asking that Tori was a virgin, she'd been so excited for her 'hundred day kiss' with Steven that there was no way they'd gone much further and Ryder could barely have been called a boyfriend at all it was over so quickly. It was different for her, she'd been sleeping with Beck for years now. That was one area they'd never had any problems with but she had to admit just then with Tori had been very different, she loved Beck and sleeping with him had been an extension of that love with her sometimes doing it more to please him than because she felt like it but Tori had stirred something far more carnal in her, she had wanted to make her hers, to see her like no-one else ever had, the desire so strong it was intoxicating, this was raw and new and it scared her a little. When they finally parted for a second, Jade glanced over Tori's shoulder at the clock, "It's nearly 3. Much as I don't want to, we really should sleep." Tori nodded, eyes heavy. As they slid beneath the covers, Jade wrapped her arm around Tori and snuggled her in close, Tori leant her head against Jade's shoulder, wrapped her leg over Jade's and slid her hand under her top settling to rest on the warm, soft skin of her stomach. Sleep washed over them both, Jade's last conscious thought being how surreal this all was, how she would never have even dreamt she could feel this way about Tori but how unquestionably right it felt to have her lying here in her arms. She gently kissed the top of her head and then drifted off.

Tori awoke to find herself still wrapped around Jade and she smiled sleepily, the chink of light coming through the curtains lit Jade's face up giving her pale skin an almost angelic glow. She wished she could somehow take a photograph but knew the mental image would never leave her memory. She leaned up slightly against Jade's chest taking in every inch of her heart shaped face, she had the longest eyelashes Tori had ever seen and the darkness of them made them stand out against Jade's porcelain complexion, her lips were a deep shade of pink and a perfect rosebud shape, she was so much more than beautiful, she was a photographer's dream, strikingly unique looking. This made it even more sad how obviously insecure Jade was about her looks but having now met her mother, Tori could hazard a very good guess at why, she smiled as she recalled the many, many times her Mom and Dad had told her she was pretty over the years, some of her earliest memories were of being warmly embraced and told she was their beautiful little princess, she looked at Jade and was positive that was something she had never experienced and she resolved to tell her every day for the rest of her life if she got the chance. Jade stirred beneath her and slowly, sleepily opened her eyes, Tori stayed exactly where she was, smiling as Jade rubbed her face with one hand and stifled a yawn, "Morning, sleepy head." Jade chuckled slightly, "Morning." She leant down and kissed Jade softly, Jade wrapped one arm around her and rubbed her eyes again, "How long have you been awake?" "Not long really," she replied. Jade leaned around her, "It's after 11 already, you get sorted and I'll go make us some breakfast, well...'brunch' I guess would be more like it." Tori nodded, kissed her again then freed her. Jade disappeared out of the door and Tori went to jump in the shower.

Jade switched the kettle on, gathered everything she needed and started to cook their pancakes. She still couldn't quite believe this was happening it felt so dream like. When she thought of Beck she still ached inside from the loss but when she was with Tori all she could think of was her, when she was gone she missed her and when she looked at her she felt the strongest rush of….she couldn't deny it anymore…love. She turned her attention back to the food, she sliced up the strawberries and melon, loaded a tray with the pancakes, syrup, fruit, orange juice and coffee and headed back upstairs. When Jade walked back into the bedroom Tori was just coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, she felt that unmistakable flush of desire hit her again. She placed the tray on the bed and Tori sat down next to it, "You cook?" "Yes," Jade laughed, "which from what I've heard about your culinary skills is a very good job." Tori burst out laughing, "I would try and deny that but erm I can't." As they ate, Jade tried to keep her eyes averted from the barely covered girl sat a few feet away from her, "Ok, so I was thinking, do you fancy coming for a little magical mystery tour with me today?" "Yeah, definitely," Tori answered enthusiastically, "Any hints on where?" Jade smiled widely, "No, it's just, well, it's where I go sometimes, when my soul needs to be fed."

Now Tori was intrigued! They finished eating and she got ready while Jade showered. While she was waiting, she stacked the stuff back on the tray and glanced around Jade's room. The walls were a deep plum colour with various paintings hung across the back wall. There was a large black bookcase, filled with an array of books and dvds and several black shelves running along another containing a menagerie of objects, the area in the corner which housed her desk, computer and by the looks of it coursework was the only part that instantly divulged that this could be a teenager's room as there were posters of several rock bands stuck up randomly around it. Jade came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, drying her hair with a second, Tori was transfixed by the vision in front of her. She watched the tiny beads of water running across Jade's perfectly sculpted shoulders, she felt her stomach flip and was filled with the fiercest urge to touch her. She wandered over to take a closer look at Jade's pictures and collectables, even though she was genuinely interested, it was more to give Jade privacy to change than anything else. Everything she had on display was different, unique, not necessarily pretty or pleasant even but for one reason or another Jade had obviously found them interesting. There was a display case on top of one chest of drawers which housed her vast collection of scissors, Jade's fascination with them had freaked her out previously but now it was merely another part of her. She turned to see her pulling her purple and black checked shirt on, she was wearing jet black jeans and a black vest top underneath the shirt. She watched her sit and pull on her deep purple Doc Martins, which she laced to about half way up, their dress senses really were poles apart, Tori was wearing her pale blue jeans, lilac, pink and white striped top and pink converse pumps, Jade slipped on her unusual chains and rings, even they voiced her individuality, Tori favoured more delicate, classic pieces. Jade's style couldn't have suited her more perfectly though and even before all this had happened she had always thought she looked good. "Ready?" Jade asked her. "Yep," she replied. Sat in the car, the music from the stereo playing softly, she rested her hand on Jade's leg, after a minute or two Jade slipped her fingers between hers, picked her hand up and kissed the palm softly. Tori thought she was just removing it until Jade placed both their hands on the gear stick and continued driving like that, it was such a small but sweet gesture and it made her melt inside. She didn't know why she was so surprised by it though, after all she'd watched Jade and Beck being almost constantly wrapped around each other for years, this thought brought on an irrational and unexpected pang of jealousy, she wanted to be the only one that Jade had ever felt like that about. As she mulled this over further she realised the flip side to that was that Jade was only ever really tactile with the person she was in a relationship with, the butterflies begun again. They drove for well over an hour before Jade finally parked up, "You ready for this?" She asked. "Totally!" Tori exclaimed. "If you get bored though, please tell me, okay!" Jade insisted. "I won't, but okay," she shook her head at Jade's request. "Welcome to Little Italy!" Jade announced. As they wandered through the narrow streets, Jade pointed out several old buildings along the way, explaining the structures, why they were designed that way and the history surrounding them. A couple of them had a heavy gothic influence and she even quoted some poetry that had been inspired there. Yet again she had completely shocked Tori, she never expected her to have such a passion for architecture and culture. At some point she had slipped her arm around Jade's back, half expecting her to move away, instead she had draped hers around Tori's shoulders and continued with her little tour. They walked for miles taking in not only the dwellings but also the amazing views, the intricate fountains that stood amongst the large public gardens and the exquisite old style theatre. As the day had unfolded Tori had literally felt herself falling even further for Jade. Eventually they wound up by a quaint little Italian restaurant 'Bel Piatoo', Jade steered her towards the doors, "it means beautiful dish," she explained, "my Dad's cousin owns the place." Tori nodded, "Ah, okay. So you're half Italian then?" she queried. Jade laughed, "Correct!"

Jade went over to the counter and spoke to Alessandro, he, as always, was pleased to see her, he held a hand up in greeting to Tori and gestured to a booth in the far corner. She led Tori across the room to where Alessandro had directed her. The restaurant was heavy on the red, green and white theme that often dominates the décor in Italian venues and the menu also favoured classic Italian cuisine. Tori went for the Cannelloni and she chose the Tortellini. She must have asked Tori half a dozen times today if she was boring her, she'd kept reassuring her that she was enjoying herself and based on the conversation they were having over dinner she finally believed her. She'd surprised herself when she had first thought about bringing her here, this was her private passion, she had visited the area around once a month for the last few years, initially bussing it until she had passed her driving test last year. She'd first discovered this amazing little corner of the world when her Dad had stopped off to drop something in to Alessandro when she was around twelve but it had been another two years before she'd made the trip to explore, she had instantly fallen in love with the place, it was steeped in so much fascinating history. It had felt so good to share this with someone who wouldn't mock her or drift along wishing they were somewhere else. "I have one more place I want to take you to, if that's alright?" Jade asked as they ate their deserts. "Of course it is." Tori would have followed her to the moon right now. She settled up with Alessandro and said her goodbyes, she was genuinely fond of him and he had always welcomed her warmly. A short walk found them outside an ornate building and she took Tori's hand and led her inside, Jade's eyes were alive with excitement. This was her ultimate sanctuary from the world. Once through the reception area, the windows inside the rest of the building were blacked out and the lighting inside the first room they came too was nothing more than a dim red glow. As Tori looked around she realised she was in some kind of art gallery. Only every piece of art in this room was made to be accented by the faint red hue. It was like stepping into some kind of magical realm, with vampires, skeletal horses, trees with faces and other dark fascinating creatures but strangely the images weren't frightening or macabre, they were beautiful and intriguing. Jade was in her element and as she looked at Tori and realised she was entranced, she beamed. When they went through the heavy doors to the next room Tori noticed that it had the same kind of dim lighting only this one was purple, this room held a lighter theme with pixies, unicorns, intricately depicted butterflies and the like, that seemed to lift of the canvases in this light. Jade could see the look of amazement on Tori's face, she had thought she'd probably like this room best, she shifted herself behind her, wrapped her arms around Tori's waist and gently kissed her cheek. Tori reached a hand up to stroke the side of Jade's face, "This place is just…wow!" Jade merely nodded. The next room was filled with scenes of moonlight and mystical water creatures all bathed in a pale blue glow. Tori realised that all this artwork seemed kind of familiar for a reason; it was the same style as the pieces that adorned Jade's bedroom walls. The final room was bathed in bright white light and held a variety of angelic images; Jade had always felt this was the perfect choice to end on as you left feeling almost touched by the purity of it.

When they stepped outside Tori realised that Jade's car was only a few yards down the road, she obviously had this route well planned out by now. She was totally overwhelmed by how perfect this day had been and honoured that Jade had shared such a personal part of her life with her. She chattered away excitedly for most of the journey home, Jade quietly listening to her. When they got in Jade headed into the kitchen and made a drink, "Do you want to watch a movie? Or are you tired? Do you want to just crash?" Tori put her drink down, took Jade's from her hands and placed it on the counter top; she grabbed Jade's hand, looked at her provocatively and led her upstairs. As they got into the bedroom she held Jade's face and looked her deep in her eyes, "I know what I'm doing, what I want and I'm not going to change my mind, regret this or leave you." She had barely finished the last word when Jade kissed her so intensely it took her breath away and made her legs go weak. When they finally came up for air she slowly unbuttoned Jade's shirt and slipped it off her shoulders, the faintest whisper sounding as it hit the floor, she slid her hand around Jade's neck and pulled her in close, gently kissing her from the groove behind her ear to the curve of her shoulder, Jade's head tilted back slightly and a low murmur slipped from her lips. She slid her hands beneath Jade's top and guided it up, over her head, leaving her ample chest exposed save for the pretty dark purple bra, she was wearing. While she was still taking in the sheer beauty of Jade's form she realised Jade was raising her top, she lifted her arms slightly allowing for easier removal, Jade's soft hands ran back across her arms until they met around her neck and she kissed her gently. Jade took her hand and led her over to the bed, flicking the stereo on low as she passed. Tori kicked off her pumps and socks and she watched as Jade bent forward to remove her boots, her bra barely caging her breasts, she climbed behind her and undid the clasp, as the bra fell forwards she slid her hands around Jade's sides, her fingertips sweeping the soft skin and feathering over the hardening nipples, she kissed Jade's neck once more and felt her breathing become rapid. Without warning, Jade span around, she eased Tori back on the bed and straddled her. As Jade leant over her, arms either side of her shoulders, the hunger in her eyes made her go weak.

Jade was completely lost in her need for Tori now, she couldn't have held back even if she'd wanted to, she leant forward and kissed her softly from her neck down across her chest to where it dipped in the centre, she slid her hands beneath Tori's back and unhooked her bra, gently sliding it off and tossing it to the floor, she just gazed for a second, captivated by her. Her skin was the exact colour of milky coffee, she was just so beautiful. She ran her hand over the swell of Tori's breast, gently cupping it, she leant forward and kissed it softly before sweeping her tongue across her now erect nipple. Tori ran her fingers through Jade's hair digging them slightly into her scalp. She continued down Tori's stomach with her soft slow kisses until she reached the top of her jeans. She undid the button and zip, kissed the skin they'd previously covered and then slid the jeans off, gently stroking her legs as she went. She ran her hands back up Tori's thighs, her legs falling open like a flowers petals seeking the sun. She gently kissed her way up the inside of her leg till she reached her core. She could feel Tori's legs start to shake slightly, so crawled up the bed sliding her leg between Tori's as she went, coming to rest with a slight pressure on her centre. She caressed Tori's breast with one hand, stroking her nipple with her thumb as she kissed her, she could feel Tori start to grind herself against her thigh and took the cue to travel back down her body. She gently slipped Tori's now damp underwear off and skimmed her finger across her soaked centre. She ran her tongue along the outline of her, avoiding the one place she knew Tori wanted her to be, she could feel her trying to shift her position beneath her and as she glanced up and met her eyes they were almost pleading. She wrapped her hands around Tori's thighs to steady her and slowly ran her tongue across her now swollen clit. Tori began to writhe and the moan that escaped from her lips was like audible honey, simply the sweetest sound Jade had ever heard. She quickened her pace and increased the pressure from her tongue and it wasn't long before she felt Tori's body start to tense. The orgasm hit her like a tsunami and as the waves crashed over her she covered her eyes with her arm and cried out, before gripping the headboard with her free hand. Jade was mesmerized, she had never been so aroused in her life, she leant up slightly, eyes fixated on what she could see of Tori's face. Her hands were still softly gripping her thighs and the second she felt Tori's body began to relax she gently slipped two fingers inside her. Tori arched her back, hips shifting away slightly and she gripped the covers beneath her, Jade went deeper inside, at the same time circling Tori's already throbbing clit with her thumb and as she felt her inner walls begin to contract, she reached up and grabbed her hand entwining their fingers, "don't hide your face," her voice was low and rich, "I want to see you," every sense was heightened now with pure lust. Tori went over the edge again and she gripped Jade's hand so tightly their fingers went white. "Oh god! Jade!" Jade watched her intently, she had never seen anything so enchanting, it was like visual heroin and she knew she could never get enough.

Tori was completely overwhelmed by the exquisite sensations she was feeling. It was like even after the initial waves of pleasure had subsided, small ripples continued to flow through her. She had obviously imagined what her first time would be like but that could never have even begun to compare with this. She felt like all the strength had gone from her body but with their fingers still entwined, she gave a gentle pull on Jade's arm to get her to come back up to her. Jade instantly responded and lay next to her, wrapping her arms around her. Tori snuggled into her, trying to ignore the intense throbbing between her legs when she moved. She stroked Jade's face and got lost in her eyes, she leaned in to kiss her and as their lips met she could taste herself on Jade, for the briefest second this threw her but then it just turned her on even more, reminding her of what Jade had just done. Once she had regained control of her limbs, she sat up, pushed Jade on her back and immediately pulled her jeans off, discarding them over the edge of the bed. Jade raised her eyebrows at her, she just grinned, "Your turn now." She leant down and started teasing one nipple with her tongue and the other with her finger tips, Jade was already so aroused that this alone coaxed faint moans from her lips, she latched on to her breast gently sucking and biting at the soft flesh while her hand slid between Jade's legs, she rubbed her core over her panties. She could feel the heat radiating through the material which was absolutely drenched and she couldn't help the corners of her mouth turning up, to know she had caused that gave her the most intense rush. She released Jade's breast and made her way down running her tongue across Jade's stomach until she reached the tattoo that peeped out of the top of her panties. She pulled them down slightly and examined it, it was a beautifully depicted phoenix and she kissed it gently before almost ripping Jade's underwear off. She gave her no time to react to that before she slipped her fingers deep inside her. Jade's eyes widened, she threw her head back, gripped the headboard, pushing her arm against it and as Tori pumped harder and faster, the moaning intensified until she suspected she may come again herself just from the sound. She started gently teasing Jade's clit with just the tip of her tongue whilst keeping a steady rhythm with her fingers. In Jade's already highly aroused state it didn't take Tori long to get the desired result and as Jade climaxed she kept her fingers inside her relishing the sensation of heat and pulsation around them. When it finally stopped she crawled up the bed until she was lying on top of Jade and smiled contently at her, "That ok then?" Jade's eyes were wide and she was still trying to slow her breathing, she nodded slowly and when she finally found her voice in almost a whisper she said, "More than! Are you sure you've never done that before?" Tori grinned, "Positive, in fact I think I'm gonna need a lot more practice!" Jade ran her fingers through Tori's hair and kissed her softly. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long night," she smiled. Tori just beamed at her while her hands started to wander again.

Jade roused first and as the world swam into focus, she saw Tori's face in front of hers and smiled. They were so entwined it was hard to tell where her limbs finished and Tori's began. She gently stroked the soft skin on Tori's shoulder and time just drifted away as she lay there gazing at her, she felt so much love bubbling inside her and she knew no matter what happened now, she could never hurt her, never leave her. Tori had not only been there to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart, she had slowly, painstakingly started to slot them back together again and last night, well just thinking about it made her almost delirious. Also she was well aware of the strength of the connection that usually accompanies that first time and she'd heard Tori whispering "I love you" when she thought she'd already fallen asleep. She knew she had major character flaws but she was loyal and fiercely protective of the people she cared about and once she loved someone that was it for her; she was theirs, this is why she would never have been the one to leave Beck. A wisp of Tori's hair fell across her face and Jade gently swept it behind her ear, Tori sleepily brought her hand up to catch Jade's, pulled it towards her and kissed it, "Morning beautiful," she whispered snuggling herself deeper into Jade's arms. "Morning," Jade kissed her forehead lightly. She wrapped her arms tighter, pulling Tori in closer to her, _yes this was right._ Her phone beeped, so she reluctantly released Tori, crawled down the bed, lent over the edge and grabbed it from her jeans back pocket. She scowled as she read the message. Tori lightly touched her shoulder, "What's wrong?" "Nothing, it's from my brother; he's just letting me know they'll be leaving the hotel soon. I guess the peace is nearly over." Jade turned, leaned over, kissed her, got up, and headed for the shower, Tori lay there grinning for a few minutes before following her in there.

By the time they got out of the shower and got ready, it was already 1pm. Tori gathered her stuff and they went to grab something to eat at the local coffee shop as Jade really didn't want any chance of running into her mother which she completely understood. When Jade dropped her off at home she felt such a rollercoaster of emotions, she was ecstatically happy but at the same time she was sad to be parting from her, she knew she would miss her tonight and she also didn't like the thought of Jade at home with her Mom after what she'd witnessed on Friday. She now finally appreciated the meaning behind the dark comments about her childhood that Jade had dropped in over the years. She chatted to her Mom and Trina for a while before taking her things upstairs. As she started to unpack her bag she saw the cd lying on top of her clothes. She smiled widely and popped it in the stereo and as the sweet words drifted out she felt a warm glow spreading through her, _"So many nights trying to hide it but now I stay awake just pleading for more, to think this heart was divided, I'm losing sleep cause I can't ignore it. Feeling your touch all around, peacefully hearing the sound, of silence around us, I'm so glad we found us this way. Find me here in your arms, now I'm wondering where you've always been_ _and blindly I came to you knowing you'd bring new life from within. I can't get enough of you._ Tori shuffled back on her bed, picked up her pillow and wrapped her arms around it, she felt like her heart was going to explode, she loved Jade so much it overwhelmed her. "_Hearing your voice all around, the last place we're going is down. I'll blindly follow knowing your leading the way. Find me here in your arms, now I'm wondering where you've always been and blindly I came to you knowing you'd bring new life from within. With you in time, there's nothing else. My life stands still, you are the will that makes me strong, make me strong. I can't get enough of you." _Tori clicked the replay button on the remote, leant back and bathed in the intoxicating happiness she was feeling.

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><p><em><strong>A.N **_The songs quoted in this chapter are Ed Sheeran ~ Kiss me and Boyce Avenue ~ Find Me

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's the first time I've written anything remotely M rated so I hope it was ok. Chapter 5 will be up as soon as I can manage.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this.


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